As we began our research for this post, we noticed a startling fact…most articles pushing the support of Small Businesses were published in November right before Small Business Saturday. Don’t get us wrong, we’re a huge fan of Small Business Saturday around here, but we need to encourage the support of local small businesses EVERY day of the year! But don’t worry spending money isn’t the only way to keep those indie shops in business.
We want this to be a post that promotes ACTION, so let’s get to it!
DAY ONE:
Leave a positive review for a small business.
Did you know that anywhere from 51% to 90% of shoppers read online reviews before making a purchase? (Source: SBA.gov) And we’re sure that number is just going to continue to grow.
For Day 1 of our challenge, think about the little shops and services that you just couldn’t live without. That will be an easy and authentic place to start when you’re leaving reviews on Google, Facebook, Yelp, or others.
Sites like the Better Business Bureau are sometimes forgotten, but can be more likely to carry a ton of weight in terms of believability.
DAY TWO:
Share your favorite local business on social media.
We can’t even count the number of cool new places we’ve learned about just by reading our friend’s social posts. Discovering unique businesses and getting to know the owners’ stories is so fun and can just plain make you feel good!
So, let’s share our favorite places with others. Imagine how excited a local business owner would be getting tagged and complimented out of the blue! They work so hard and sometimes don’t even realize how they brighten someone’s day and an entire community as a whole! So, let’s tell them and others at the same time.
DAY THREE:
Leave a nice comment on a small business’ post.
It’s just nice to be nice, isn’t it? We have to remind ourselves sometimes just to share what’s on our mind, especially when it’s happy thoughts! If you adore a pasta dish at your local Italian place, tell them. See a cute pair of shoes in your local boutique? Let them know! What about that business that has a LOL-funny social media thread and just brightens your day by being their hilarious self? Give them some love right back!
So, on day 3 of our challenge, spread some love!
DAY FOUR:
Follow 5 new businesses on social media and engage!
This one should be fun…it’s like window shopping! Start by doing a quick search for something you’re interested in – coffee, comic books, calligraphy, maybe other things that don’t start with C. Keep in mind, just because this is a small business challenge, it doesn’t mean they have to be in your town, county or even your state! A small business can be one you find across the globe and can still ultimately order from their website!
Tag us on social, we’d love to hear what you found!
DAY FIVE:
Start a convo with a friend and share your faves from this week!
Now that we’ve hit day 5 of the Shop Small Challenge, you have done some real work that you can be proud of and you didn’t even need to buy a thing! I’m sure you’ve found new businesses and made the day of more than a few business owners! Now, tell your friends. Imagine if just one friend did the same thing you just did this week. What a huge impact we could make in our communities!
Start by sharing with us. Who did you discover, love on, or chat with this week? We’d love to know. DM us!
In case you haven’t figured it out by now, we sure love independent businesses and we hope you do too! Before you run off of this page, we have one more added challenge if you’re up for it.
Download our Support Local, Shop Small Postcard and share the love today!
Business owners share this post with your audience using the social links below and pass these postcards out on Small Business Saturday to encourage your customers to support you not only when they’re in-store!
And, all you “shop local” fans out there, print these out, and remind friends and family of the importance of their support!
Support Local, Shop Small!
