5 Ways to Celebrate Small Businesses All Season Long

The holiday season presents a good opportunity to support businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay-at-home orders have forced many people to curtail their outings which has created massive setbacks for small businesses owners. This year’s Small Business Saturday–set for November 28, 2020–is the perfect time to help them recover.

What can you do to help your favorite small businesses during the pandemic? Here are five ways to help make the holiday season merry and bright for small businesses.

Purchase Gift Cards

Gift cards are always an excellent choice for the holidays since they let gift recipients buy what they really want. Due to the pandemic, many small businesses added gift cards to their product line-up to help keep revenue flowing. If you have friends and loved ones who are hesitant to visit stores, give them a gift card from a small business that they can use online. That way, they can enjoy shopping from their homes and schedule a delivery or safe pick-up.

Order Take-Out

Cooking at home became the norm during the pandemic stay-at-home orders. Although those orders have been lifted in much of the country, many people are still reluctant to have meals indoors at restaurants. Ordering takeout is a great way to enjoy your favorite cuisine from the safety of your home. Many restaurants have adjusted their operations to allow for pre-ordering, low or no-contact pick-up and convenient delivery services. You may be able to order directly from your preferred restaurant or use an app like Postmates or GrubHub to place orders.

Get Moving

Although the holidays are supposed to be a time of joy, it’s common to feel stressed during the hectic season. Plus, many people are feeling cooped up and restless from so much time at home. The good news is that many small yoga studios and gyms offer a safe solution: online classes that can help you get moving. You may also find that gyms or exercise studios offer equipment for at-home use until full in-person classes can resume. Treat yourself to some classes–or buy gift certificates for friends and loved ones.

Virtual Consultations

Another way to melt away holiday stress is by practicing self-care. Even if you’re skipping in-person spa and salon visits for now, you can still access the expertise of your favorite stylists and aestheticians. With foot traffic down, many salon and spa professionals have turned to virtual consultations with custom kits for at-home use. Ask your stylist about these DIY options as well as spa and salon gift certificates for people on your holiday shopping list.

Give a Review 

Right now, one of the best things you can do to support small businesses takes minutes and costs you nothing. Write a glowing online review for a few of your favorite companies! Not only will your endorsement make them smile, but it can also funnel business their way. A recent survey found that 93% of consumers let online reviews influence their purchasing decisions. A few positive words from you can bring an influx of sales to small businesses this holiday season.

There are more than 30 million small businesses in the United States–and we can all do our part to support them during the holidays. Many smaller businesses are still recovering from the COVID-19 shutdowns that happened earlier in the year, so every sale helps. A few purchases or online reviews from you during the last months of the year can add up to big wins for small businesses!

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