Small business ownership is tough. Family and friends may try to be supportive. In many cases, the voices of doubt seem to be the loudest. In the beginning, all that might be visible is the growing mountains of bills and debt with no end in sight. Even after the business has been launched it can be months or years of hard emotional and financial investment to sustain the business.
A good friend of mine recently asked how he (and others) can help.
There are several ways that you can help that don't cost you anything.
- On social media: Like, 'heart', share, retweet, comment or follow the account and the posts. The social media algorithms are constantly changing. When you give a post a heart or 'wow' on Facebook it helps make the post appear more relevant and more likely for other people to see it in their feeds. The more interaction on the post the more exposure it will have to other people.
- Like their Facebook page: Facebook makes certain tools available only once the page reaches a certain number of likes. If you like the page, then perhaps people similar to you would like it too! It doesn't mean that you personally will get more advertising, but it helps identify other people on Facebook that might share similar interests.
- Share, share, and share some more. Share with your network online and offline about this great business that you know about. You never know how far that information will reach and how many people it could help.
- Refer-a-friend: No advertising in the world is as powerful as a sincere referral from someone you trust.
- Celebrate victories: In a world surrounded by so much negativity and criticism (and trolls), it can be difficult to stay positive. Celebrate and amplify the small victories to help build up to bigger ones.
- Gentle and honest constructive feedback: Small business owners need feedback, just like everyone else. When a small business is struggling, it can be hard to listen to well-intentioned criticism. Share your feedback in a private setting or channel. Let them know your honest and well-intentioned, constructive feedback. It may help to make the difference between a successful product or campaign vs. a failure. Be prepared that they may not be ready to hear it, and it may take some time or patience until they are ready.
If you do choose to buy:
- Buy from a small business: A small purchase is a 'drop in the bucket' for mega-corporations. For a small business, it could make the difference between breaking-even or an operating loss. Even if it costs a little bit more, support the local economy.
- Share your purchases: Love your new purchase? Let everyone know! Share a new picture of you rocking your new outfit or enjoying the new purchase.
If you are a small business owner, please check out our Small Business Services and let us know how we can help you.
https://my-del.ca/pages/services#SmallBusiness
Artist: Pink Robyn Decor (https://www.instagram.com/p/B4-TzyMnX5V/)