The past two years have been a scary time for entrepreneurs. All of us have mourned as local restaurants or shops have shut their doors – and this Small Business Saturday, it feels more important than ever to support local businesses.
When I left my 9-5 job in 2016, I was nervous about starting my own business. And for the past six years, I have been SO GRATEFUL to coach so many high-achieving but time-strapped women as they work to take their fitness and nutrition to the next level – without the unrealistic “rules” of diet culture involved.
But running a small business is HARD – when I started my business, I learned a few things pretty quickly:
- Clients don’t just come to you
- Managing your time while working for yourself is completely different from managing your time while working for someone else
- Small biz owners wear many different hats: CEO, coach, accountant, administrative assistant, social media manager, marketing strategist, copywriter, and more!
#ShopSmall
My experiences have definitely made me pay attention to how I personally treat other businesses/business owners. I treat them in a way that I want to be treated (and respected) as a biz owner myself:
- I no longer look for the best discount or price, but the best value
- I don’t ask other business owners to lower their prices or add to their services for free
- I prefer to shop small/local, now more than ever, since I fully understand the behind the scenes blood, sweat, and tears that go into it… and I know that in doing so, I’m helping pay for someone’s daughter’s overnight camp, a medical bill, or perhaps a much-needed family vacation
Many of us biz owners aren’t doing it for the big lofty paycheck, but because of how it fulfills us. It’s who we are. It’s who we get to help. It’s about the IMPACT we make on somebody’s life.
So today for Small Business Saturday, here’s a reminder to support your local community businesses this season, both brick and mortar AND online.
The obvious way to do this is to buy something from a small business owner. Of course there is no way to purchase every single thing you own from a local shop or online solopreneur, but pick and choose where you can make an impact.
- Is it by getting books from a local bookstore instead of Amazon?
- Your coffee from the local shop instead of Starbucks?
- Is it your holiday recipes and workouts from your fave health + fitness coach instead of wasting hours of your time scrolling through Pinterest?
Remember, shopping small doesn’t mean you have to say yes and take out your credit card every time you see someone selling their services, but if someone’s message and philosophy really resonates with you, and you see a product or service’s value, invest in it!
If you see a product or service’s value, invest in it!
There are also SO many other ways to support small business owners that require zero dollars:
SPREAD THE LOVE
Share programs + services, a product you love, a blog post that resonated with you, etc. Word of mouth and referrals are the best marketing.
ENGAGE
Especially on social media. Like, comment on, save, and share social media posts. Likes are fine, comments are better, but these days SHARES are the most helpful in getting posts seen on a newsfeed. Social media takes a LOT of energy, and many of us are giving away amazing free content and guidance and inspiration with each post. If something resonates with you, don’t just scroll on by!
COLLABORATE
Get involved with in person events, team up for giveaways, see if you can work together in any way.
CHECK IN
Ask your fave biz owners how they are doing, tell them how much something they posted or did meant to you, just let them know they are doing an awesome job! This small biz world is a rollercoaster, and trust me, even the smallest of compliments can turn a hard day around in an instant and be the thing that keeps someone going.
How are you supporting a small business owner or solopreneur that you love today?
Let me know in the comments!
P.S. Want to be the first to know about developments in my business? Subscribe to the Beyond Reps Digest! I’ll keep you updated on new programs, deals, and more – plus a recipe and a new workout for you every month!