With businesses everywhere reeling from the effects of the national lockdown, it’s important we continue to support our economy during these uncertain times. We usually support businesses by buying their products and services, but did you know there are other ways you can help without buying. Here’s 5 ways you can support small businesses during these difficult times.

5 Ways You Can Support Small Businesses During The Covid-19 Lockdown Without Buying Right Now

Follow them on social media

Find your favourite brand and like, follow and comment on their social media posts Whether that’s Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or their blog posts, comments are so important. It gets them noticed in a very crowded online space.

Post a review or testimonial

Have you bought something from a small business in the past and loved it? Now is a great time to tell them how much and post a review on social media. Think about it, how many reviews did you read before you bought an expensive coat, a pair of fancy shoes or an all singing all dancing vacuum cleaner? I’m guessing lots and you probably took some time to come to a decision. Reviews helped you come to a decision about the quality of the product and are the difference between a customer buying and not buying. So throw a few words of encouragement out there so small businesses feel inspired enough to carry on.

Tell your friends and family - word of mouth counts

There are so many businesses that have become incredibly successful because of word-of-mouth. Whether it’s a boutique who provides a great personal service, a cafe that has the most scrumptious croissants or the builder that can make your house beautiful. Word of mouth recommendations are like spoken testimonials. They bring customers directly to the virtual doors of a business. So the next time you buy something from an independent brand, share the love and shout about it to your friends and family.

Clementina wearing a 12 string Sari Necklace

Share a picture of a product you’ve purchased

By some great coincidence, as I was writing this, I received a message from one of my customers. Say hello to the lovely Clementina, (above), who sent this picture of her wearing her new sari necklace, recently purchased from an online fair. (Online fairs are growing in popularity now by the way)! I’ve been blown away by Clementina’s support. Not only did she share a picture, but she also shared reviews on social media. It absolutely meant the world to a small business like mine. I know so many of you who have kindly done the same and you know, we are so grateful. It kind of keeps us going. If you’re not keen on sharing your identity on social media, send a creatively styled photo or one that doesn’t show your face. Either way, you’ll probably get a great discount code out of it.

Sign up to newsletters to enjoy special offers

I get it, you’re inbox is already jam packed with emails you hardly look at. You haven’t cleared out your inbox for months and with everything that’s going on, you just don’t have the mental space to deal with email clutter. Or is that just me! Shopping for luxuries is definitely at the bottom of your list, so there’s no compelling reason to subscribe.

But you know there is.

Being part of an email list has benefits. You get to know when new products are launched way before the general public. You get a chance to see behind the scenes of the brand and even get the opportunity to offer your opinions on the next latest product. You benefit from insider discounts, giveaways and share the joy when great things happen. If you really admire the values of a brand, help support them by subscribing to their email.

Here’s some tips on keeping your inbox uncluttered:

Be selective about who you sign up with. Remember big brands can bombard you with weekly or even daily emails which can be overwhelming. Small businesses offer a more intimate experience that feels real and honest.
Make sure you know how many emails a month you’re signing up to. Usually small businesses will tell you whether you’ll get a monthly or bi-monthly email. If they do need to email weekly for some reason, they usually warn you in advance.
Sign up to emails that are easy to unsubscribe from. I remember a few years ago I signed up to a travel email that sent me last minute deals. To this day I still don’t know how to unsubscribe as they’ve made it almost impossible to do so. Not a great start!
Crafting emails takes a lot of time and thought, so encourage small business owners by replying to their questions, commenting whether you enjoyed their newsletters and offer suggestions on what you’d like to see more of. Otherwise how will they improve their services.

So there you have it. I hope this post has been helpful in making you aware of just how much a review or a social media shout out means for a small business. Of course, when you can buy from a small business, go ahead. Small businesses form an important part of the creative economy and social fabric of communities. They bring people together and I think we can all do our bit to help them weather the current storm and survive.

I’d love to hear your comments below, so feel free to hit reply and tell me what you think.