Ever since our world has been hit with the never-ending monstrosity of COVID-19, we have become more and more familiar with the phrase, “support small businesses” each day.
After working at a small business in an extremely small town for almost two years now, I now realize how important it is to have small businesses around within a community. Whether you are in need of food, clothing, jewelry, beauty services, repairs, etc., there will always be a small business that you can support instead of a multi-millionaire company.
With COVID-19 being around for the last two years, these times have been extremely difficult for small businesses. They do not have as many employees anymore, the price of supplies has significantly increased, and people simply just have not been going out as often as they used to. Many people need to realize that supporting a chain is doing nothing compared to supporting someone who is doing everything on their own in order to make a living.
Think about it. Every day before class you stop at Starbucks and spend $5.75 on a mediocre coffee. Sure, it is super close to campus and convenient when you just need your caffeine fix, but what does Starbucks do with your money? Are the cashiers taking it and spending it for themselves? No, it is most likely going straight to their CEO just like any other chain company. When you spend your money at a small business, you are helping an individual pay for something else. You are helping someone’s child get braces, putting money towards someone’s rent, and paying for diapers for someone’s newborn. When you think about where your money is going at a smaller business, it makes the experience ten times better. After seeing some of my close friends and family build their own businesses, I have been able to see the impact it has on them when they finally start getting the customers and attention they deserve.
Speaking from my own experience, I have worked at a small family-owned restaurant for almost two years now. When they first opened in November 2019, it was definitely a struggle for them to spread the word, as they were the only other restaurant option in the town besides Wendy’s. When COVID-19 eventually hit a few months later, keeping the restaurant open was extremely difficult for them. It has been so incredible to see how far the restaurant has grown since I started working there, and how much closer the family has grown together as a whole. Reasons like this are exactly why you should give your money to a small business instead of throwing it away at large chains.
When thinking of ways to support a small business, there are a number of things you can do even without spending a single dollar. One of the biggest things that brings customers into places is through social media. Whether it is tagging them on your Instagram post, mentioning them in a Facebook group, or even posting a picture of something you purchased from them on your Snapchat story, you are helping spread the word to the millions of social media users out there. Another way to support is simply just having the understanding and patience. Because small businesses are usually only consisting of a few people working at most, things might take longer or cost a little extra than normal.
At the end of the day, supporting a small business is completely worth it. They provide entrepreneurs with opportunities to make money, while also doing what they love at the same time. When you support a small business, you are supporting an individual human, not a million- dollar chain.
By Jordan Klotz, Activist Writer
