5 Ways to Help Local Small Businesses

1. Shop your local stores online. Most retailers are offering their products through online purchasing, even if they hadn’t been doing so before the coronavirus pandemic. Continue supporting local businesses by choosing to order through their websites until they reopen their brick-and-mortar locations.
2. Buy gift cards. Service businesses like spas and theaters that don’t sell products, are hit particularly hard by the coronavirus shutdowns. Help them continue to turn a profit by purchasing gift cards now for later use.
3. Order in. Dining out is a luxury that most of the world will have to do without for now, but you can still enjoy your favorite takeout food at home. Most restaurants and fast-food chains are taking precautions to prepare their food within hygienic conditions to meet the CDC guidelines. You can safely order through a food delivery service, like UberEats or Postmates, or use the restaurant’s drive-thru or curbside pickup service.
4. Tip extra. Whether you’re ordering dinner in or just having your groceries delivered because you can’t leave your home, you can help local businesses make it through this economic crisis by tipping a little bit more than you normally would. You can usually add your tip to the total being charged on your card to avoid physical contact with the delivery person.
5. Take advantage of discounts. In an effort to boost their sales, many small businesses are offering steep discounts on their products at this time. Take advantage by purchasing larger than normal quantities of the sale items to help the business stay afloat.