Times are tough and we’re all feeling the pinch as this coronavirus crisis continues to change our way of life. As we popped corks on champagne at New Year’s Eve and belted our drunken renditions of Auld Lang Syne, we could have never anticipated that a few months down the track, we’d be hunkered down at home. Many of our friends and family members have lost their jobs, and those that haven’t are trying to muddle their way the best way they know how.
To keep the Australian economy ticking over, there are still plenty of ways you can support local businesses in your community without spending a lot of money.
Think about where you shop
Shop local, shop homegrown goods made right here in Australia. The local restaurant who is serving takeaways like Moana Restaurant and Bar, or the small business owner like Dave’s Pet and Garden Supplies who delivers across the Gold Coast straight to your door, these are the types of places you need to spend your spare money. Rather than importing goods from overseas from places like Amazon (the exchange rate sucks so you’re better off keeping it local), source your needs from small business owners who desperately need your support.
The bricks and mortar shop front that usually serves as a business for your favourite retailer may be closed, but there’s no reason you can’t purchase from them online. Many businesses who have never had an online presence are now realising the importance of having an ecommerce website.
Follow local businesses on Social Media
Whether it’s a Gold Coast digital marketing agency or a local caravan repairs company, make the effort to follow their pages on Instagram and Facebook or subscribe to their YouTube channel if they have one. It costs you absolutely nothing to like a page, share or comment on a post. The more you actively engage on their social pages, the more the social network views their content as popular and therefore increases the reach of how many people see their content.
“Recommending a business or sharing content on social media might not seem like much, but to a small family business, it can make a huge difference. And after all, that’s how Boost Social Media started to get traction,” say Elisha Fiorentino, Managing Director of Boost Social Media.
Purchase gift cards
Your local beauty salon or supplement company may have closed their doors until social distancing regulations are lifted but there are still ways you can show your support by purchasing gift cards for use when their doors reopen.
Word of mouth
If you know of a local business who is still operating but doesn’t have a website, or can’t be found on socials, it doesn’t take much to speak up and recommend a business such as Boost Social who specialises in digital marketing. If you know a friend who’s missing going to the gym, tell them about the online workouts Gen-Tec Nutrition is streaming live every morning. Don’t underestimate the power of word of mouth recommendations.
Leave a review
Everyone knows someone who runs their own business. It might be a tiler, builder like East Coast Designer Homes or Rositano Kitchens, even if you don’t require their services, you may influence someone who does to pick up the phone by leaving a review on their Google My Business page. This costs you nothing but a few minutes of your time.
They may seem like little things that won’t make a huge difference, but remember it only takes one spark to set a fire going. Your input could be the spark a local Australian business could be looking for.