4 Ways to Support the Local Community

4 Ways to Support the Local Community

During lean times, like now, consumers try to lessen their expenses and exercise more caution when spending their hard-earned money. This could come in the form of cutting back on luxuries and sticking to a more rigid spending plan. One thing that you can do to spend more prudently is to patronize businesses that are found in your community. Not only can you reduce your expenses on food and other essentials, but you also help these local businesses stay afloat. It is a win-win situation in terms of community building. Here are some great ways that you can support businesses from your local community.

1. Look for local counterparts of products that you buy.
Ordering things online is very convenient. But, before placing an order from a giant e-commerce platform, it will help local businesses if you spend a few minutes finding out if a local seller offers the same products. For example, if you are thinking of buying a book, check if any of the independent stores in your community can order it for you. While it may take a few days longer for the product to get to your doorstep, your purchase will go a long way in helping the local businesses survive a little bit longer.

If you still go to physical stores to shop, look for items that are locally produced. Choosing these products will convince the store wonders to keep them on the shelves. So, the next time you buy a jar of salsa or a carton of eggs, check if these are produced by your local farmer.

2. Patronize restaurants and other establishments that use locally sourced products.
We know that there are days when you don’t feel like cooking. That’s absolutely fine. Supporting your community shouldn’t end when you decide to order food. Find out where your favorite restaurants order their ingredients and support those who source their products locally.

Check out online guides to sustainable eating to find out which businesses are supporting local producers. You can also go directly to the website or online menu of the restaurant you are considering and find out where they get their ingredients. If the information is not readily available, you can also call the food place and inquire if they get their products from locally based farms. The extra effort that you put into your food hunt is going to make a lot of difference to the lives of these farmers and producers.

3. Convince others to support local businesses as well.
If the small businesses in your area don’t stock locally sourced products, ask for them. Convince other people to suggest them to business owners too. These people would benefit if they give what their customers want and would likely start stocking these items if they perceive that there is a large demand for them. Of course, these items wouldn’t stay on the shelves for long if nobody buys them, so don’t’ just talk the talk.

4. Promote local businesses on your social media accounts.
Bolster the online presence of local businesses by liking their social media accounts. Post photos about their new products. Share their updates. If you patronize them and love their service or products, talk about it or post a glowing review.

If you see that a small store in your community is holding a sale, share their marketing materials on your social media.Is your local barbershop giving discounts on haircuts? Share their digital flyer. These businesses probably can’t afford to launch massive advertising campaigns at the moment so they can only rely on well-meaning community members to spread the word. Any sale that would result from your shares would go a long way in helping these businesses keep their doors open.

These are just a few ways that you can help local businesses stay afloat. These steps are not going to hurt you financially and would only take a few minutes of your time. And if enough like-minded people make the effort to support the small stores and service providers in the community, everybody will win. You get to have quality products and services at cheaper prices, plus you can help these businesses survive this difficult time.

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