How to help support your local independent businesses
We all know what’s going on, so there is no need to go into it here. However it has never been more important than now to shop local, help local, support local. This includes restaurants, cafes, shops, hair salons, beauticians and pubs. We need to protect our local communities and jobs and we’re not thinking by any means that this post is going to save them all, but if we can all do our bit, literally every little helps – thank you Tesco. So here are a few things that you can do to help, support, be part of a community. Not all involve spending money, but if you are able to, please do if you can.
Use them
Which kind of covers all of our points, but being super obvious – use them. Whether you’re still going out whilst things are still open or if you’re in social isolation.
Get it delivered
Loads of restaurants and cafes have had to change the way they do things and now offer delivery, if they didn’t before. The restaurants that have done this have their own delivery service that they will be using. But don’t forget many places also use Just Eat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo. Although the last 2 do not deliver to where we live – sob.
Order a take out
Call you’re fave weekend haunt, order your food and take it back home with you to re-heat, eat in your car, save for later whatever it is, you can still use them at this time.
Buy a voucher
Another way you can help, if like us, you go out for dinner on a Friday night, Saturday lunchtime, Saturday night or a Sunday lunch. Think about buying a voucher for the places you would normally go to and save it to use when all of this has ended. You would have spent the money anyways and this will make such a big difference to the business you are popping money into.
Can’t make you appointment, ask to pay now use later
If you’re booked in at the hair dressers or beauticians and you’re thinking that maybe you shouldn’t go or you don’t want to risk it, instead of cancelling, ask if you can pay for it now (buy a gift card) and use it later when you feel happy to do so.
Leave a positive review on the business social channels
The world needs a bit of positivity right now, so if you loved a dinner you had, have the best hair cut ever, let them know. Leave a review on Facebook. Word of mouth is so powerful for local and will help gain new customers.
Like their posts on Facebook and other channels
You have absolutely no idea how much of a difference a like makes on a social media post. If you like something from a local business then the people in your newsfeed see it, they might like it, then there friends see it. The knock on effect is huge and again can bring in new money.
Share their posts
This is one of the best things that you can do in the social world. It helps that business get a bigger reach and could mean so much to them. It also takes you a nano second to do and could bring them in enough money to survive for another week. This includes us as well by the way. A like, a share, a follow makes such a difference.
Looking for more things to do and eat in Eastbourne? You can check out the Eastbourne Lifestyle homepage here or read the latest issue of Eastbourne Lifestyle’s magazine here. Also, you can check us out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Don’t forget to subscribe to our weekly newsletter in the form below to keep up to date with all things Eastbourne.
