Ashley Perssico — March 25, 2020 
The coronavirus (COVID-19) situation is developing rapidly. As many of us start — or continue — to work from home, limit our time spent in public areas, and adjust our buying habits, it’s clear that we are having to come to terms with temporarily embracing a new way of life as we know it.
For many small businesses, a crisis of this volume can be challenging, to say the least.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration 2018 Small Business Profile, there are 30.2 million small businesses in the United States, providing jobs for more than 58 million employees. Right now, many of those small business owners are trying to figure out how to adjust to moving their businesses online and others are worried about how to pay their dedicated employees.
If you’re a small business owner, be sure to check out our recent blog post for tips on how to take care of your business, and yourself, during this time.
And while you can’t visit your favorite bar or shop as you normally would, there are still many ways you can support your small business community without leaving your house.
Of course, as always, as you engage in supporting small businesses, be sure to follow all CDC-recommended guidelines and precautions to do so safely.
When it comes to a time of crisis, how can you continue to support the small businesses and nonprofits in your community?
What can you do, as a consumer, to continue to support small businesses during the coronavirus outbreak? Here are some tips:
Buy gift cards
Gift cards are a great way to support a small business now by getting yourself something in the future. This is a great idea for your local boutiques, go-to restaurants, and pet supply shops. Plus, many small businesses are now offering the option to purchase gift cards online, saving you the trip to the store.
Shop local — online, that is
If your favorite local small businesses offer online shopping, consider getting a headstart on any upcoming birthdays, holidays, or “just because” purchases. Think of it this way — you’ll be able to cross that task off your to-do list while also helping a small business get through a tough time. It’s a win-win!
Do you have a favorite shop that hasn’t, in the past, offered the option to make purchases online? Check again. Many businesses are making the switch to online stores as a result of coronavirus and you may be pleasantly surprised to find they are now listing the products you love online.
Some stores are remaining open during this time, even in areas of mass closures, due to their status as an essential resource. This includes businesses such as grocery stores and pharmacies. If you feel comfortable leaving your home and are in a position to do so per your doctor’s suggestions, consider doing your grocery shopping from a small, local grocer rather than a large big-box chain. You’ll still be providing for your family but will help the owners of these businesses put food on their own tables as well.
(And please remember that while it’s good to have canned goods and frozen items for an emergency, hoarding things just means your neighbor won’t have any.)
Order takeout or delivery
Many towns across the U.S. have implemented a mandate to close restaurants for eat-in options, pushing for takeout or delivery as the safer and more sanitary alternative.
Consider supporting a local restaurant near you by ordering delivery.
Of course, it is always best to support small businesses directly, but this crisis has brought a couple of delivery options to light that are doing great things for the businesses they serve.
Many takeout and delivery middlemen, such as GrubHub and Doordash, have started implementing contact-less dropoffs, where the driver simply leaves your order at the door and sends you a text to let you know your meal has arrived, falling in line with social distancing best practices. Better yet, GrubHub has also announced that they are suspending their commission collections from independent restaurants, ensuring that restaurant owners will get immediate cashflow relief. In addition, they have created a fund that will take donations from their Donate the Change program and give them to charitable organizations that are supporting restaurants and drivers impacted by COVID-19.
However you choose to order, your money will be supporting those who need it right now.
Which leads me to the next tip (pun intended) …
Tip a little more than you usually would
Coronavirus is deeply hurting service and hourly workers financially. Without the steady flow of tips they usually see on, say, a busy Friday night, these employees are finding themselves short on cash.
If you are in a place to do so, tipping a little more aggressively right now would go far for service workers who are trying to make a living during unsure times. If businesses near you are offering discounts or free delivery in response to coronavirus, take the money that you are saving and instead add it on to your normal tip. The delivery workers or kitchen staff will appreciate the help and you’ll be doing your part to make sure that you can continue enjoying your favorite restaurants and small businesses once we return to business as usual.
Leave a positive review online
This one is completely free, takes only a couple of minutes, and can be done from the comfort of your couch.
Small businesses rely heavily on reviews. Think about it — when you’re looking for a new place to try in your neighborhood and you see they only have two stars on Google My Business, you’re probably less likely to stop there than one with five stars.
If you’re finding yourself with a little more free time than usual while social distancing, now is the perfect time to hop on Yelp, Google My Business or Facebook to share a kind note about your experience with a local business. Be sure to include photos of the delicious food you ate or the beautiful layout of the store to add even more value to your review.
If you’re a business owner yourself, now is also a great time to make sure you’ve claimed your business on review sites and that you are taking the time to respond to reviews with a kind note.
Donate to a local nonprofit
Nonprofits certainly aren’t immune to the impact a crisis has on the community.
With everyone practicing social distancing and staying mostly at home, nonprofit organizations are suffering from a sudden decrease in volunteers, cancellation of fundraising events, and, for some, a decrease in donations. Chipping in, when you can, will mean a lot to a nonprofit near you.
Want to do double the good? Buy a gift card from a local shop and donate it to a nonprofit that can use it. For example, your local pet shelter would likely love a gift card to the small pet supply shop in town. You’ll be providing the pet supply shop with immediate revenue and giving the shelter resources they desperately need.
Share, share, and share some more
Everyone loves a good recommendation. And, sometimes, advocating for your favorite small business is as easy as clicking ‘share’ on their latest social media post.
I personally have many friends who operate side hustles or small businesses of their own. One of my local photography friends has been using her Instagram Story to share the work of fellow photographers across the U.S., hoping that by providing them with more eyes they will garner new business in the future. Another friend posted a question box to her Instagram Story asking her followers to share their favorite businesses so she could support them. She then shared the answers as well, providing word-of-mouth to others who may be interested in shopping small.
Now is the perfect time to scream your favorite small business names from the proverbial rooftop. If you share one of their posts to your Facebook feed or Twitter account and a couple of your followers make a purchase, you’ve directly helped this business by merely sharing your love for them!
Engage with them in new ways
If you’re a health-nut, going to the gym isn’t really a possibility right now. Many locations have begun to close due to local mandates and those that are still open are finding themselves bare while most people shelter at home.
My colleague, Jake, told me this week that his local gym is offering online video sessions for their members so they won’t miss out on their workout while they are closed. His gym hadn’t offered virtual courses like this in the past but had added them as an option during this time when people are feeling trapped at home. Plus, working out is a great way to fight off cabin fever!
Another great example I’ve heard was a local ice cream shop who understood that maybe stopping in for a cone wasn’t exactly top-of-mind right now, so they began selling packed pints to-go, a great way to keep making sales while also providing customers with a great at-home snack.
The point here is that many of your local small businesses may be offering alternatives to their usual offerings right now. Take a minute to check in on some of your community go-to spots to see if there are new, alternative ways you can support them during this time.
Small businesses need our support now more than ever
All of us are learning how to adjust to this period of time where things are unknown and in flux. After you’ve made sure that you’re taking care of yourself and your loved ones, consider implementing a few of these ideas to help support your community’s small businesses.
And if you’re a small business looking for guidance during this situation, check in on our official Disaster Response and Recovery Resources for Small Businesses. We’ll be updating this page regularly with guidance and help for small businesses as this situation progresses.
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