As of writing this article, there are over 40 million people in the U.S. that have claimed unemployment status as a result of COVID-19. A decent part of those are people that worked in large corporations and are simply the victims of large-scale layoffs. However, most of them are small business owners. So, to help them out, we are going to explain the necessity of motivating local businesses and give you a couple of ideas on how to do so effectively.

Why should you care about motivating local businesses

We can almost guarantee that you have also been affected by COVID-19. This pandemic has us all a bit worried and stressed out, which is why a lot of people are struggling, even though they have a steady income. So, why in all this chaos should you worry about motivating local businesses?

The value of local businesses

At first glance, it can be quite easy to underestimate the importance of local businesses. Seeing as large corporations can usually give you a better price, you might even lean towards big business expansion. But, if you really want to understand the value of local businesses, you need to look beyond mere superficial values.

It doesn’t take a Ph.D. in Economy to understand that local businesses are vital parts of any community. One of the most common ways in which people interact is through small-scale business. Be it buying food, getting your car fixed, or hiring a roofing company, people meet and build connections. And seeing that a lot of people immigrate to the U.S. every year, these connections are an essential part of any healthy community. They bind people and their interests together. Knowing that you are not simply purchasing a service and/or product, but doing business with your close neighbor is key to felling that your neighborhood is your home. Add to that the exploitation of foreign workers by large scale manufacturers like Apple, and you will soon see why so many treat large scale businesses with contempt.

Local business vs large companies

What we’ve outlined so far is something that large, faceless corporations can never bring. Sure, they might offer better services since they operate on a large scale. But, they can never have the human touch that is present in every pore of local businesses.

Furthermore, it should come as little surprise that most large scale corporations treat their employees horribly. Newspapers often cite large companies as worst job givers, especially for entry type positions. It takes only a couple of Google searches to learn how Amazon workers are treated by Jeff Bezos, and how difficult it can be to work at Walmart.

Room for creativity

The often undervalued beauty of local businesses is that they are closely connected to the local environment. This close connection almost forces them to adapt, which is why local business owners don’t shy away from being creative. All the top-notch, clever products and services that we see today have been construed by local business owners. Of course, later on, large companies too copy the idea behind small scale success and make it nationwide with heavy marketing and substantial investment. But, no matter the product or service, if it was new and popular, it came from a small business. Therefore, by motivating local businesses, you are in fact pushing for this constant evolution. Large companies simply don’t have the necessary room, nor the personal connection with their customers to be as creative.

The effects of COVID-19

Seeing the importance of local businesses, you might be wondering how COVID-19 affected them. Well, to put it simply, not well. Due to health restrictions and countrywide travel bans, a lot of small businesses had to close shop. Those that focused on food and healthcare usually managed to do alright, but apart from them, local businesses pretty much plummeted. The slowdown in the economy that happened due to the coronavirus pandemic is not something that a small business with barebone finances could tackle.

How to help local businesses

So, with all this in mind, how are you supposed to go about motivating local businesses? Well, there is a couple of ways in which you can help out. The most important which is, of course, to simply do business with them. Even though on paper it may cost you less to do business with large corporations, you should really try to bring as much business as you can to local communities.

Focus on local products and services

Be it by hiring their services or buying their products, you should focus on local business. When it comes to food, you should try as much as you can to purchase items that are locally produced. These items should not only be cheaper but also healthier fas well. In order to ship food, companies either freeze them or pump them full of chemicals in order for them to stay edible. Neither of these is particularly healthy, which is why you should always focus on locally produced food.

Promote on social media

Another way to help motivate local businesses is to help them with online promotion. Even local businesses can make use of having a decent online presence, especially now when travel bans are slowly being lifted and people are traveling more and more. To help local businesses grow, you should promote their services on your personal profile. As AZ Citation Services teaches us, leaving reviews is also quite useful, especially on websites like Yelp or Google. By leaving honest reviews, you will help people find and hire local businesses online more easily.

Talk about the necessity of helping local business

Finally, don’t forget to simply talk with your neighbors about the necessity of helping local businesses. The more the people in your environment are aware of how and why to help, the more they are going to do so. Try to explain that even though it may cost them more now, working with local businesses is bound to pay off in the long run.

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