How to help small businesses grow
With households watching every penny and independent stores facing rising costs, this Christmas could make or break many small firms.
How can consumers support small local companies? As a consumer champion, I show you how to support small businesses, so they can survive and thrive.
@thecomplainingcow How to support small businesses at Christmas and throughout the year. #supportsmallbusinesses #supportlocalbusiness #SmallBusinessLove #SmallBizSupport #ShopIndependent
Support on social media for free
1) Social media can be a huge asset for small businesses. Facebook’s algorithms usually show posts to only a tiny percentage of the audience who follows. By creating more engagement, platforms will make the content visible to more people.
On social media:·
React to the posts from the business, using the “love” or other positive emoji reaction, instead of the “like”, for even more impact.·
Comment on their posts, with endorsements.·
Share/repost their content, adding your own comments.
2) Encourage others to support local and small businesses in their social media posts.
3) Many small businesses have ethical and good trading practices. Shout about these on social media and in local press letters pages.
How to buy from small businesses
4) If you have friends or family with a small business, always pay full price. You should not expect the business to lose money on you, even if you are a good friend.
Try to avoid haggling with a small business. The profit margins are much tighter than their larger competitors. You should only pay “mates’ rates” if it’s offered by a friend who is in business.
5) Use The British Craft House to buy genuine homemade items made in the UK Etsy hassles – UK company offers an alternative for makers and crafters.. Many products on Etsy are not handmade. You may believe you are getting a bargain on overseas sites, such as Temu and Shein, but you will also have more difficulty asserting your consumer rights than shopping with a UK-based trader.
6) Buy products out of season. Purchasing Christmas items outside of the busy festive period can also help cash flow during quieter times.
7) Order directly from a business’ website, rather than a third-party platform which takes a significant percentage. For example if you see something on Amazon or eBay from a seller, do an Internet search on the seller name and go direct to their site.
8) Hire small and independent businesses for your personal and business events. So, think local for your photographer, cake maker, designer, entertainer, etc.
9) If you’re responsible for buying presents for staff, consider purchasing a thoughtful item from a small local business, maybe handmade chocolates, instead of a generic tub of sweets from the supermarket!
10) Pre-order any upcoming new products to support the cash flow of a local business.
11) Visit the local craft fairs, festivals, pop ups, exhibitions and events where you know you’ll be supporting small businesses. If an event is cancelled, find the businesses that would have been there, and buy from them directly.
12) Advocate diversity in business. Seek out and buy from female entrepreneurs in industries where representation is lower, such as painting and decorating. Support businesses run by under-represented groups, such as from the global majority, those with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ community.
After purchasing a product or service
13) When you buy a product or service, always write a review. You can do this in more than one place, too. Check if your supplier has a Google Business page, email it to them for their website, write a recommendation on LinkedIn, do a social media post and tag them in. Even better if you can do a video. These things cost nothing but are crucial for businesses, particularly those just starting out.
14) Recommend small businesses to friends, family and colleagues.
Support small businesses regularly
15) Commit to supporting a local small business by joining their membership or loyalty scheme.
16) Be a loyal customer. Returning to a business helps them with sustainability.
17) Keep up-to-date with the challenges small businesses are facing. Stay abreast of local news and join grass roots campaigns. For example, you might support a campaign against parking charges in areas with local independent shops.
18) Join in and share competitions and promotions.
19) If you are involved with a school, invite small businesses to talk to pupils about entrepreneurship and/or take students on work experience to help raise business profiles. How to support and add value to schools – without giving money
Collaborate with other small businesses
20) If you’re a small business, partner with others wherever you can. For example, run a joint event and/or encourage cross-promotion of each other’s products and services.
21) Skill trade with other small businesses. For example, swapping financial, social media or marketing skills.
22) If you’re a successful entrepreneur, offer to be a mentor for small businesses. You can do this through a number of organisations, such as Young Enterprise.
Support small business consumer champion
For more advice, tips, information and template letters covering holidays and more: GET THE BOOK! How To Complain: The ESSENTIAL Consumer Guide to Getting REFUNDS, Redress and RESULTS!
Want to get better at complaining? See 101 Habits of an Effective Complainer.
How to save money on Christmas 456 Ways to Save Money on Christmas Throughout the Year Save on food, presents, cards, activities, decorations, holidaying, festivities and entertainment without cutting back on the fun and enjoyment.
Save yourself time and effort finding the laws and wording a letter of complaint and download a template, fill in your details and get that redress.
Purchase downloadable templates to gain redress.
Holiday, flight and event complaint templates to get you redress for most situations, just fill in your details to get that redress.
Small business support
How to Get Free PR For Your Business & Be Paid For It
Grow your own media contact list, approach television, radio and newspaper outlets and leverage your coverage. Armed with this knowledge you can become the “go-to” media expert in your chosen subject area, with regular paid-for appearances.
The Complaining Cow – free support for businesses
It takes 5 times as much to gain a new customer to retain one. So work on turning your customers into superfans who do much of the heavy lifting for you!
Join the Facebook Group Increase Sales through Customer Service: Compassion, Care and Integrity A private group where you can give and get support, advice and share good practice on how to improve customer service.
Free download Customer Service 5 ways to get rave reviews & referrals a few tweaks to your customer service can help you reduce the risk to your company’s reputation, finances and impact on customers and increase sales.
Customer Service how to turn customers into superfans raving about your products/services
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