Supporting Locally & Diversely Owned Businesses is Supporting the Community We Call Home

7/10/2020 (Permalink)

Proud to Support Local and Diverse Business!

Local businesses and business owners- they don’t just work in our community, they live here. They our neighbors and friends. They are what make our community special and are essential to our economy.

Local and diverse business brings growth and innovation to our communities. They are specially vested in our towns and neighborhoods - providing employment, creating opportunities, supporting local economies, and adding strength and stability.

Most are feeling a financial strain right now, and are worried about the future. Now is the time to remind ourselves, supporting locally & diversely owned businesses is supporting the community we call home.

What Can I Do?

You may be saying, “I understand why it’s important to support these businesses, but what can I do?” The answer is a lot easier than you think. Simple tactics and changes of habits can make a huge difference. Get in the proper mind set, we’re all in this together.  Start with, if you need to buy something, try your local store first. You’re in need of a service-who are your local providers? Now that you’ve got the ball rolling, check our 4 Tips on Supporting Local & Diversely Owned Business.   

Four Tips on  Showing Your Support for Locally & Diversely Owned Business

1. Get to Know Your Neighbor. Check-in, get to know the local businesses in your community. Ask how you can offer support -are they open or selling online, do they sell gift cards, share their information on social media. Actively participate.
   
   
2. Recognize the Helpers & Pay it Forward. Many local businesses are great neighbors, doing what they can to contribute the health and wellbeing of the community. We’ve witnessed our friends, coworkers and neighbors offering pro bono services,  donations and volunteering with the institutions that help feed and support the most vulnerable members of our community. Support these business- they strengthen us all.
   
   
3. Order Take-Out. Sure, it sounds simple but with limited (many still closed) dine-in options and reduced capacity local restaurants are dependent on take-out and delivery offerings to survive. In addition, think about treating clients or coworkers, in these times we know they could use the pick-me up, it helps the economy and serves as word of mouth marketing.
4. Get on Social Media & Spread the Word. The pandemic crisis has affected everyone, you may not have extra money to spend right now. That’s ok, you can still help support local business by spreading the word. Is there a local business that you care about? Get  on social media- share their info, write a review, share their posts. Word of mouth marketing is a huge value to relationship based businesses.

It’s all related- we know if we want to see our communities thrive, the businesses in them need to thrive. Ultimately, it’s going to be up to us, the local consumers and customers, to support local and diverse business. These businesses are made up of our families, neighbors and friends- we’re all in this together. We’re local, Be Local, Support Local.

To Learn More about Supporting Local Business through Social Media, check out our blog post: Doing Your part to Help Local Business | The Benefits of Online Reviews

Resources for this Post and Additional Suggested Reading:

• Forbes Magazine: 15 Ways To Support Local Business During The Coronavirus Shutdown
• Fast Company: How to find and support Black-owned businesses, wherever you are
• Mashable: How to find and support Black-owned businesses — and why it's important
• Bond Street: Supporting Women Business Owners: Why and How