Since the start of COVID-19, there has been an explosion of small businesses across all social media platforms, making it extremely hard for online shoppers to put down their credit cards. I do not know about you, but during quarantine, my addiction to online shopping went through the roof and has remained the same since. Something about cute clothes and jewelry for a cheap price draws me in, and I can not resist no matter how hard I try. My bank account may be crying, but to me, it is worth it.
I was never one for online shopping, but everything is so simple now. You can’t open a single app without a link to a page or a website that sells things. Social media gives accounts the ability to randomly pop up just because of past posts you have liked or interacted with — it is basically fate at that point.
When I think of small businesses, I think of businesses that are reachable online, but small businesses can be anywhere and sell anything. There are so many ways in which you can support small businesses, whether they are online or in person.
Share, share, share
The easiest way to support is to share information, which is easy to do if you have social media or have the ability to communicate. Many people tend to buy something and post it on their story, tagging the business they bought from. This leads to exposure, and in order for small businesses to be successful, they need all the positive exposure they can get.
Write reviews and donate
Writing reviews and commenting can help tremendously as well as telling a family member or a friend. Some small businesses give you the option to donate, and there are many organizations that take donations for the purpose of helping small businesses. The National Urban League takes donations that directly support minority-owned businesses, allowing them to expand and thrive.
Due to the circumstances, it has been hard to shop in person. Despite this, the online community has flourished, allowing society to overcome some of the madness we have been facing. Many people started a small business over quarantine for fun, and others rely on their small business to get by. Supporting is simple. When you make a purchase, share with others or even like on social media, you are supporting. Keep supporting the small businesses you love and branching out to new ones.
