7 Things You Can Do Right Now to Support Small Businesses
From artisan markets to Zen yoga spaces, small businesses are the heart of communities, keeping neighborhoods healthy and vital.
Read on for seven things you can do – beyond Small Business Saturday – to assist small businesses and keep your community vibrant.
1. Shop local
The next time you’re thinking about making a purchase, consider skipping the big box store and check to see if you can take some of your business to a small retailer instead.
2. Think outside the brick and mortar
Not all small businesses are shopfronts on a pedestrian street. In fact, more than 25% are conducted online. Remember online small businesses when considering taking classes, hiring for services, or buying directly from artists and makers.
3. Tip well, and pay in cash when you can
In addition to helping employees meet rising costs, tipping shows appreciation. It’s one way you, as a customer, can boost employee engagement and satisfaction. When you pay your bill in cash rather than with a credit card, the business saves on transaction fees.
4. Buy gift cards
When you purchase a gift card for a product or service you’ll use later, you put money into a small business' register immediately. These kinds of purchases help maintain cash flow, even during slow times.
5. Write reviews and refer friends
Word of mouth is a great way to boost the profile of a business, so consider writing an online review. The more details you can include, the better, and uploading a picture or two will make your entry more effective.
6. Follow on social media and share content
As a follower, you help put the content of businesses in front of more people and boost their social media profile. Sharing content gets their message to your followers.
7. Invest your time
Small businesses benefit from volunteer labor, such as stocking shelves or handing out flyers, but you can also help with more specialized tasks. Most places can use pro-bono design, communications, accounting, or legal work. Your best bet is to ask small business owners what they need.
Why is it important to support local businesses?
Think about the small businesses you frequent. Chances are you can picture faces or even remember the names of people who work there. Doing business with people instead of corporations just feels good. It also does good.
Small businesses enrich local economies. In the United States, 99.9% of businesses – 33.2 million of them – are small. These create jobs (12.5 million in the last 25 years), and profits go back into the communities they serve. Small businesses also tend to support local initiatives and charities – and they donate handsomely.
When you support a small business, you’re supporting local communities, producers, and businesspeople.
Like supporting small businesses? So do Axos and ADP
Axos Bank and Roll by ADP share a common passion for small businesses, which is why they’ve designed tools specifically for business owners.
To be successful, small business owners must wear many hats, often handling all aspects of running a business, from accounting to floor sales.
"As a small business owner, I’m always on the go," said Lynnette Zulquairnain, owner of Maxx Therapy Solutions. "I love what I do but have enough responsibilities to manage.
"I don’t want to be a payroll manager. The ease and simplicity of Roll gives me more time to remain focused on doing what I love to do. And I chose Axos Bank because they’re a smaller bank and have tools designed to save small business owners, like myself, time and money."
Want to learn more? Check out the Axos suite of banking services designed with small business owners in mind and Roll by ADP, which can run payroll in under 60 seconds.