Many small businesses and creatives have already started to feel the impact of the Coronavirus—from closing their doors to reduced sales to entire industries having to put a pause on things.
Staying inside means fewer sales for these businesses and creatives, which is something they rely on every single day to support themselves, their staff, and family.
While you may not be able to go out and shop at your favorite boutique or enjoy a latte from your local coffee shop, there are still plenty of ways you can support others and help keep them afloat.
Here’s how you can support small businesses and creatives during these troubling times!
Shop From Small Boutiques & Online Shops
Many boutiques with online shops are still shipping items.
Now’s a great time to do some online shopping and get yourself a few things—find items to help manage stress during COVID-19 isolation, DIY projects to get your creativity going, or comfy clothes to hang out at home in.
Etsy is a fantastic place to find almost everything under the sun. From home goods to clothes to toys to pet supplies. Need a new toy to keep your pup entertained?
Turn to an online shop! It’s a win-win for everyone!
Order Take-Out or Delivery
While this quarantine is a great time to practice your cooking skills, sometimes you just don’t want to cook.
Instead of getting take-out from large chain restaurants, order from a local restaurant. Though dine-in service is a no-go right now, many places are offering take-out options or delivery. Want food delivered? Check out Postmates and UberEats!
Another way to support your fave coffee shop—if they sell their own beans, you can snag a bag or two right now.
Some delivery platforms are momentarily waiving their delivery fees—definitely look into this and see if it applies near you.
Buy a Gift Card to Use Later
A gift card sale is yet another win-win to support a small business.
Buying a gift card for later helps to support them now and lets the business and owner know you’re a loyal customer and you don’t want them to close their doors forever. Many folks need that support right now!
Share on Social
Share some of your favorite bloggers + businesses on social media!
While keeping in touch with friends and family and to stay in the loop with the news is a great use for social media, it’s one of the best ways to grow business nowadays.
Want to support some of your favorite businesses during these hard times?
You can also use your platforms to promote some of your faves and help to keep them afloat. You never know when sharing something might turn into a sale—and maybe even a future loyal customer!
Check-In on Creatives
Send a message to your favorite creatives and check in with them and let them know how much you appreciate their work!
There’s a good chance they need to hear that right now. You can also engage with their content by leaving a comment and sharing it with others.
Many sites rely on views as a means of income through ad revenue and the longer you stay and engage, the more you support them.
Read Blogs
With more free time, why not delve into catching up on blogs?
There are so many cool blogs out there, touching on almost every topic you can imagine. If you already have a few favorites or you stumble on some you love, continue to read their posts and explore their site.
This doesn’t cost you any money, and just a few minutes of your time, but can help keep the site afloat.
If you spent as much time as you have reading the news as you did a blog, the blog would be able to stay in business. And it’s a great way to keep your mind off things.
Order Art or Jewelry
There are so many photographers, artists, and jewelry makers out there who are extremely creative and produce beautiful work.
Simply buying one piece, whether it be a picture or a bracelet, helps them continue to do what they love.
While Pura Vida isn’t a small business—the Jetsetter Bracelet Pack I created with them is one of the few revenue streams for TBA over the coming months. So, if you like to use my site for travel planning and want to help keep the ship running, I would be so thankful for your support in purchasing a bracelet pack. Thank you!
Take a Class or Purchase Presets
Many online creatives have created online courses or other resources that you might find extremely useful.
Looking to achieve a cohesive look to your Instagram feed or make your photos positively *pop*?
You can find presets that help you edit photos, marketing and social media classes, or e-books on almost any topic in the world.
TBA Lightroom Presets
Whether you’re just starting out with photography or have been shooting for years, these easy-to-use presets will instantly add a beautiful aesthetic to all of your images!
Shop Now
Hire a Creative
Hiring a creative is a huge way to support small businesses. Want your website redesigned? Hire a freelance web designer!
Interested in a social media manager to help further your online presence? Now’s the time to get one!
Got any more tips or ways to support small businesses and creatives during this time? Let me know the comments below!
Check out these tips for managing stress during COVID-19 isolation and tips for curing wanderlust during COVID-19 isolation.
Hey this is a great article., I really love the ideas. Honestly, I have a small travel blog my self . (NoShoesTraveler) I’m still kind of new to blogging so I often like to read larger more established Blogs to see how they are doing things and maybe how I can improve my blog. Kind of what lead me here.
I never thought until I read this how a lot of bloggers use the views as a means of income to keep them afloat! I am not to a level where I make more than enough to buy a bottle of Soda each month, so I don’t pay much attention to that.
I will have to be sure to make more of an effort to read more blogs these days.
Hey Mickey! Thanks for the kind words. And yeah, there’s a lot of things that go into making blogging a viable income/job, so thank you for your support!
Good to know that works too! I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.
Thanks so much, Ghulam! 🙂