Purchase Gift Cards
The gift cards are awesome! Buying a gift card is probably one of the most effective ways for you to support a local business. It’s even better if their service is great. If you’ve just enjoyed your meal at a local restaurant or know you’ll be back to shop at the little store, get a gift card. It’s a way of making sure that you patronize their service more than just once. Also, it’s possible to enjoy special bonuses through the purchase of gift cards.
The great thing about gift cards is that you can gift them out to friends and family. This way, they’ll also enjoy the service. Just think of how much good it would do to them and the business.
Shop locally online
If you plan to get something for yourself online, you should consider buying it from a store close to you. Many stores keep enough inventory for people to patronize them online. Have you been eyeing that boutique bag or a fancy piece of local art? Get it from a store close to you. You’ll be doing the business a favor by boosting their online presence. There’s also a chance that you’ll incur lesser delivery fees for the goods which you have purchased. At the end of the day, everyone is happy!
Like and share their social media profiles.
We’re now in a modern age where most things now take place online. There’s a high chance that the local restaurant or store you just visited has a social media profile. Ask for it. Like and share it among your friends. You can also like, comment on, or share their posts as a way to support them.
It’s easy to underestimate the power of social media, but it goes a long way. You’ll make many people aware of the great service which the business offers and grow their online coverage. Some businesses may even offer discounts or promotional prices for referrals. (This is exactly the strategy Sage employed recently.) So, it’s a win-win situation for everybody.
Decline a refund.
Due to certain scenarios, such as the raging pandemic in the world at the moment, local businesses may be unable to meet up with all orders. They may even be forced to cancel planned events and pre-bookings. When this happens, they have to refund the customers. If your order doesn’t cost too much, you may consider declining the refund.
It may seem like a waste of money but it’s not. By declining your refund, you allow the business to recoup some of the costs it has spent in trying to provide that service. If it’s not entirely their fault, then you cut them some slack. Many small businesses find it hard to recover from tough times because customers are always concerned about getting refunds. Try to change your attitude in such scenarios.