Jumping In: Advice on How You Can Support Small Businesses
BY VALENTINA CASTRO
Supporting small businesses: an idea we often hear about but don't always know how to implement. Beyond economic benefits such as increased local job opportunities, small businesses represent the character of a community. They often embody the dreams and aspirations of their owners, who pour their hearts and souls into the work they do. By supporting them, we celebrate their hard work while contributing to our community’s economy. As community members, we can put power into the hands of these business owners by choosing to support them. But many of us struggle to put this knowledge into action.
One of the easiest ways to support small businesses is by making conscious buying decisions. Instead of always choosing to buy from a large chain or online retailer, consider looking into your community for a local alternative. Whether it's grabbing your morning coffee from the neighborhood coffee shop instead of Starbucks or browsing the shelves of a boutique bookstore instead of buying from Amazon, each transaction supports the small business much more than it would the large corporation.
Small Business Owner AnneMarie D'Erasmo. Posh Pretzels
Furthermore, our influence can extend beyond our wallets. Sharing positive experiences with small businesses on social media, leaving reviews, and recommending them to friends and family is an easy way to highlight your favorite small businesses. Especially in tight-knit communities, word-of-mouth promotion can be a game changer for a small business owner striving to compete with a larger corporation.
To learn more about the real impact of our support, I asked AnneMarie D'Erasmo, owner of New York gourmet pretzel shop Posh Pretzels, to emphasize what every sale means to her. She says, "Every customer who walks through our doors represents more than just a sale. They're affirming our commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and personalized pretzels! Their support fuels our passion to continue serving our community."
As consumers, our actions have huge consequences. Whether we realize it or not, every purchase we make sends a message about the kind of world we want to live in. By choosing to support small businesses, we're advocating for a more vibrant, diverse, and inclusive economy that allows for full creativity.
Moving forward, let's embrace this responsibility and become advocates for small business owners everywhere. Together, we can make a meaningful difference, one purchase at a time.
