There are many great reasons to support small, local businesses: it boosts the local economy, creates local jobs and it shows that you care about your community. Luckily, there are so many amazing small businesses in the Central Valley. Here are a few ways that you can support small businesses in your area!
Intentionally choose small businesses.
Probably the most obvious and most effective way to support small businesses is with your money. When you find a small business that you want to support, shop there! Make the intentional choice to frequent small businesses rather than chains or nationally-owned stores and restaurants. For example, instead of hitting up Chili’s for family dinner night, find a local Mexican restaurant. Or, when you are buying Christmas presents, ditch those Black Friday sales and hit up Small Business Saturday instead!
Find new small businesses in your area.
Make an effort to find new restaurants and small businesses in your area. Apps like Yelp and Nextdoor are great for finding those local restaurants in your neighborhood. Also, ask your friends, family and social media followers for recommendations on great small businesses to support! Drive around and explore your neighborhood, looking for locally-owned store and restaurants that you may not have noticed before. There might be some hidden gems!
Leave online reviews.
Online reviews are a great way to spread the word about your favorite small businesses. The more positive reviews that a business has, the more likely people are to discover them! 5-star reviews are a great way to show your appreciation to small businesses for providing such a great service. Some great online review websites to check out are Yelp, Nextdoor and Google Reviews!
Spread the word.
Word-of-mouth is the bread and butter of many small businesses. It is one of the most effective marketing strategies because people are more likely to trust the opinion of someone that they know than a stranger. Tell your friends and family about your favorite small stores and restaurants. Better yet, post about them on social media, to give them an even bigger shout out!
Attend local events.
Small events such as craft shows, food truck events, fairs and other events where small businesses are selling are great places to discover new small businesses and support the ones that you already love! Bring your friends and family so that they can experience all your favorite small businesses too.
