With all of the craziness going on in the world right now due to the Coronavirus outbreak, it is so important that we support and take care of each other as we press on through these tough times. The impact that COVID-19 has had on our economy leaves us concerned for our beloved small and local businesses. These businesses bring us a sense of community, personality, and novelty and allow us to support independent artists, designers, journalists, and innovators. As interior designers, we are eternally grateful for the small, local businesses in our area that help us get the job done in our fast-paced lives and provide us with one-of-a-kind pieces to use for our projects. Here’s some ways that you can support small and local businesses and help them keep up during this time of uncertainty.
Buy Gift Cards
Service-based businesses, particularly ones that require close personal contact or have larger groups of people together such as hair salons, nail salons, spas, and fitness studios are all struggling the most right now because their services don’t work well with social distancing recommendations. Since these businesses aren’t able to function normally during this time, buying a gift card from from them can help support their business while they’re not operating.
Ask About Options & Alternatives
Don’t just simply give up on small or local businesses because you don’t think that they’re open or that they aren’t allowing in-store visits. These companies are trying to stay afloat right now and most of them will find innovative ways to work with their customers. Ask these businesses about what their alternatives and options are for doing business during this time. Many companies are providing curbside pickup, online consulting, and personal browsing in order to satisfy their customers while also keeping them safe.
Ditch The Big Brands
We’re all guilty of this to some extent – needing to stock up on groceries and household items before lock down and panic shopping at a big, well-known grocery store like HEB or Target. Next time you need to make a grocery run, choose the local shop on the corner instead to try to help that business out rather than giving your business to these big brands who are well off during this time.
Photography by Tania Miron
Shop Small Online
While being on lockdown, we’ve all been surfing the web and online shopping a little more than usual. Just because these well-known, leading companies are having major sales in an attempt to drive business while everyone is online, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consider shopping at smaller online businesses. Etsy is a great place to find just about anything you need while also supporting independent and small businesses!
