The holidays are rapidly approaching, along with some of the biggest shopping days of the year. Soon, Americans across the country will be rushing to online and big-name stores to purchase gifts for friends and loved ones.
In 2022 alone, Americans spent approximately $936.3 billion on holiday shopping, according to a report from the National Retail Federation. So, it’s not surprising that for many businesses, the holidays account for some of the best financial performances of their entire year.
And none are more critically affected by this time of year than the small and local businesses throughout our country. At such a huge time of year for shopping, small businesses literally depend on holidays to keep themselves afloat.
As we approach holiday season 2023, why not make a conscious effort to give your favorite local businesses some extra support? Not only can you find some truly unique gifts for your loved ones, but you can also put a little more money back into your local community. And as a bonus, you’ll support small businesses that must compete with some of the biggest names on the market.
To help you help your local businesses this year, here are some easy ways you can give your favorite small businesses a little extra love during the holidays.
Write positive reviews for local small businesses
Consider how often you read reviews of a local restaurant or business before deciding to spend your time and money with them. Odds are, you’ll be more inclined to purchase from a business with a five-star rating than one with four or three stars. In fact, according to a recent consumer survey, nearly half of the participants indicated that they trust an online review as much as a personal recommendation from a friend or family member.
Because of this, small businesses often rely on online reviews to keep their revenue streams flowing. Every single review can have a significant impact on the amount of business they receive each month. This becomes all the more important during the holiday season, when customers are searching for the perfect gift for their loved ones.
If there’s a business in your local community that you think deserves more attention this holiday season, write a positive review for them on Yelp or Google. Be sure to include details about your shopping experience and the quality of their products and services. You may also want to include photos of your purchase.
Best of all, writing a review is completely free and takes only a few minutes to complete. Even a short, positive review can make all the difference in boosting the business’s visibility during the holidays.
Share your favorite local small businesses on social media
Similar to reviews, social media can be absolutely critical for the growth and sustainability of a small business. Between regular social media posts, short videos and direct interactions with their customers, social media can help a small business build its brand, foster a community and gain valuable insights on customer preferences.
If you’re not already doing so, consider following your favorite small businesses on their social media accounts. Interact with their posts—whether through likes, writing comments or sharing their content on your own account. Like reviews, this helps boost visibility on social media by increasing their rankings. It also helps the algorithms used by these platforms serve their posts to other potential customers.
Better yet, craft some social media posts of your own that highlight the business. Tell your followers how much you enjoy the small business’s products, or even share photos or videos of yourself using your purchase from the business. Be sure to tag the business in your post and include any relevant links to help your followers find the business online so they can make a similar purchase.
Prioritize shopping small instead of big box stores
Thanks to Amazon and other online shopping apps, it’s incredibly easy to purchase just about any item or service you want with a few taps of a button. And while this convenience can make holiday shopping faster and more efficient, it often means your money goes to support a large corporation instead of funding your local community and its independent businesses.
This holiday season, try to make a habit of checking with your favorite small businesses for your shopping and gifting needs before you make a trip to the big box store—in person or online. For example, if you have a gift idea in mind, consider contacting a small local business instead to ask if they have the item in stock. In some cases, if they don’t have what you’re looking for, they can place an order for you—or recommend another local business that might have what you need.
Of course, many small businesses have online storefronts of their own that you can explore for gift ideas. They may even offer local pickup, so you can circumvent the longer delivery processes of the big online shopping services and get your gifts faster.
Buy gift cards to support small businesses
Much like their big-box peers, many small businesses offer gift cards or certificates for their customers. As the name suggests, gift cards are an excellent choice for the gift-giving season. They allow the recipient to choose a product or service that they like and can often be saved indefinitely for a future purchase. They’re also quite popular—American adults spent approximately $195 billion on gift cards in 2022.
More to the point, buying a gift card from your favorite local small business can be a significant boon for their operations. Gift card holders often go bold with their purchases, allowing the gift to cover part of a large transaction. Plus, gift cards are excellent for introducing a business to new customers—potentially turning them into repeat customers down the road.
Support the economic health of your local communities
During the hectic holiday season, your local small businesses need all the help they can get to continue offering unique products and services. By showing your support, you can help put money back into your community and allow local business owners to keep food on their tables and enjoy the holidays as much as you.
Are you a small business owner? Let Rightworks simplify your operations and help you face the challenges of running a modern business. Learn more.