Hey lovelies, I can’t believe how crazy things are right now. I’m not going to lie, I’m really worried about the future right now. When the government issued a statement Monday opting people not to go out to pubs, clubs etc it literally killed the industry I worked in and subsequently I am now without a job. I’ve worked in the same events venue for five years, and I’m not sure if it will survive this but lets hope for the best. Today, I wanted to talk about ways you can support your local/independent businesses and online sellers, right now it is so important to keep these businesses alive and above water! I know not everyone has expendable funds right now but there are still ways you can help.
Choose Local
Now this might sound like a silly one to mention but in most cases you can shop local for almost everything that you can find in a Supermarket, or if you live in England used to see in Supermarkets (the stockpiling mentality has gotten crazy). Things like eggs and bread, can be purchased from local farms or from local bakeries/coffee shops rather than Supermarkets, whilst it might be slightly more expensive in most cases you are literally supporting someones livelihood.
Share Their Social Media Posts
This will help independent businesses a lot, whether they are reducing hours or offering new services (deliveries etc) sharing it means more people will see it, thus potentially bringing in new customers or making sure that regular customers are in the know about any chances. For online sellers this increases the traffic to their website and means that there is a higher chance of someone purchasing. It literally takes second to share a Facebook post or an instagram post, and for some companies this will help them so much right now!
If You Can Visit Them, Visit Them
Some shops are still open and running, and you can go in-store. For example I’ve been trying to support my independent coffee houses over Nero’s (where I would regularly get my coffee) as I know small businesses need the extra custom right now. I’ve fallen in love with a few gems in Northampton and I will be sharing them in a Supporting Local Businesses in Northampton post very soon. I fully appreciate that not everyone can do that right now.
Buy Gift Vouchers
Coffee shops, retail shops, beauty salons and restaurants will all be offering gift cards if you can’t visit them right now, why not purchase a gift card for a later visit? With Mother’s Day falling this weekend it is the perfect chance to support a business and get something nice for your mum, like a voucher for a meal for two, afternoon tea or something so that she can spoil herself when this is all over. A lot of independent companies will offer gift cards in house or online so you will have options!
Get Deliveries
If you are isolating, or don’t want to leave your house right now then you always have the option of getting food delivered to your front door, a lot of restaurants are offering takeaway services whilst they are not opening, I’ve seen a lot of places offering this service especially for Mother’s Day and for evening service. If you can afford to do this, I fully recommend doing it. If can afford to please tip, tips are such a valuable part of servers wages and now more than ever with their hours being cut etc they could use the extra cash (obviously only if you can afford to).
I’m really hoping that the damage to independent businesses is minimal and that my current work place will be able to reopen after this has blown over (it’s an events venue of 400+). Let’s do our bit to support businesses through this whilst we can. I’d love to know if you have any tips let me know in the comments. I hope you’re all keeping safe, healthy and happy where possible!
If you enjoyed this post head over to my How To Reflect On The Past Year In A Healthy Way and Things To Do At Home During Coronavirus Isolation
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