Face it, sitting in quarantine these last several months has made you miss your normal routines. The trips to the hair salon. The Sunday breakfasts at the diner. The non-virtual visits with friends and neighbors. Even the too-small office desk at work!
But if there’s one thing this experience has taught all of us, it’s that we know how to be resilient. We adapt to the difficult circumstances life’s thrown at us and we support each other. In fact, according to a recent TopCashback survey that polled over 1,000 adults, 47% of Americans are helping out small businesses more than before.
It’s no secret that local shops, restaurants and services have been hit the hardest. So, many patrons have decided to step up. When asked how they are supporting these affected businesses, 74% of the people surveyed revealed they are ordering takeout. Others say they tip more or shop their local stores online.
With these findings, TopCashback’s Consumer Expert Rebecca Gramuglia put together a list of ways we can assist small, overlooked businesses going through financial hardship. Since they’ve always been there for us, it’s time for us to be there for them.
1. Buy Local
Drop name-brand products for locally made goods. Ground coffee, for example, can be purchased from your local independent coffee shops instead of packed grocery stores.
Also, be on the lookout for restaurants selling their supplies for purchase, such as produce, beverages and meat. Many local shops have transferred their business online, so you can show your support by ordering from their websites.
2. Order Takeout or Delivery
Your favorite eateries might have closed their doors for now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t chow down on their delicious cuisine. Check to see if they’re offering takeout or delivery. Not only will that help keep the business going, but it provides income to delivery drivers!
Enjoy your food and maintain a healthy distance by paying with your credit card over the phone (or through an app), tipping your driver and asking for contactless delivery.
3. Donate
If you can. These suffering businesses will even appreciate your volunteer efforts.
4. Buy Gift Cards
Give a much-needed boost to your favorite café, theater, boutique or restaurant and buy gift cards where possible. You could also ask to purchase some credit to cash in later. This is an immediate way to aid your local businesses now, while giving yourself something to look forward to when everything reopens.
5. Tip More Than Usual
Again, if you can. Meal carriers, restaurants and staff are doing a potentially dangerous job. Their income can drop due to fewer customers or changes in public health restrictions – at any time!
6. Simply Say ‘Thank You’
People who do thankless work, like stocking shelves at the supermarket, deserve to hear that they are appreciated. And don’t forget, many of these employees are working harder than ever before to keep shops clean and full.
If you can’t say thank you in person, do it on social media. Tagging, sharing or posting about a small business will mean a lot.
What are you doing to help out? Sound off below!
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by Diana Oliveira
Diana Oliveira is the senior copywriter at TopCashback.com. After beginning her copywriting career at a paper company, where she harnessed her creative chops writing about…paper, this self-described “bargain shopper” has felt at home talking about our many stores, deals and money-saving tips the last few years.