By Khashayar Fakouri
As people around the world continue to face social distancing, lockdown and curfew, the economic impact of Covid-19 continues unabated with no let-up let in sight in many countries. According to data released by NFIB research center, 76 percent of small businesses say that they have been negatively impacted by Covid-19 pandemic. However, we as consumers can at the very least help to support our small business community to keep their engines going.
Small businesses can help those who live in their neighborhoods in many ways. Owners of small businesses love what they do, and they play an important role in supporting the local community. Supporting small local businesses is not just about helping them gain revenue, it is about being a loyal customer and enabling them to keep their doors open, and as much as local people spend in the small businesses, the neighborhood will have plenty of wonderful benefits as well.
Small business owners treasure the relationship they have with their customers, they rely on regular customers not only to help them earn more. Because these small businesses need the support of local customers, in the same way, you can expect to get friendly, personal customer service. In addition, the staff of small businesses enjoy getting to know their customers since they are all part of the community they serve, so they typically are readily available to answer customers’ detailed question about the products and services.
In addition, it counts on word of mouth, so they want every customer to have a positive experience every time they visit the shop, the positive experience will bring you back, which is a win-win for both seller and buyer. If competition gets more intense in a specific neighborhood, small businesses try to be more innovative and they constantly have to work on adding new products to their shelves and having more benefits for their customers. This encourages small companies to be innovative – by adding new and unique spins on the things they offer, in order to keep customers returning. You can also find more unique items at small businesses that you will not see it in the big stores. This innovation sparks creativity to sell new things, which is good and a benefit for people living in the given area.
Supporting small retailers means we are supporting the local community. It helps to stimulate the local economy and keep the local businesses booming. These smaller businesses help to create and help make the area vibrant with shoppers and tourists and by supporting them, the owner of these shops try to return the favor by participating in fundraisers and holding special events to show their appreciation.
November 28 was small business Saturday. A day between black Friday and cyber Monday, it allows us to use our shopping dollars to recognize the importance of small businesses and how vital they are to communities and a country’s economy.
Here are 10 important reason that why we should support small businesses:
1-American dream: the American dream means to provide the ability for anyone he/she to open his business. Entrepreneurship drives the country’s economy successfully and results in innovation. By supporting small businesses, you are supporting others dreams.
2- Small businesses create jobs: keeping small businesses booming will generate higher employment, and creating new jobs.
3- Local businesses care about your community: 92 percent of small business owners donate to charities and non-profit organizations, over half encourage their employees to volunteer their time, and many support local causes.
4-Buying local keeps the money in your neighborhood: $68 of every $100 that is spent in local independent store is reinvested in the neighborhood. On the other hand, only $43 of $100 is reinvested by larger retailers.
5-Strenghten local influence: supporting local ownership allows important decisions to be made by people who live in the neighborhood and care about how those decisions will influence the community.
6- Create community relationships: local businesses use services from other local businesses such as banks and this will make economic and social relationships among residents.
7-Increase tourism: supporting small retailers and service providers will encourage them to offer unique goods that attract more tourist to your community.
8-Help the environment: because many local small businesses offer locally sourced products, the carbon footprint for packaging and transporting is reduced.
9-Personalized customer service: independent business owners care more about the local community they serve, often delivering exceptional, personalized and sometimes unexpected customer service.
10-It feels good: it feels good to support the businesses that make up your community.
