5 Ways to Help Local Small Businesses Survive the Coronavirus Crisis

Perhaps now more than ever before, "buy local, support local" is crucial to the survival of small businesses in our local communities. Here are just some of the ways you can support the businesses that need your help right now — while still staying safe.

Shop your local stores online. Most retailers are offering their products through online purchasing, even if they hadn’t been doing so before the coronavirus pandemic. Continue supporting local businesses by choosing to order through their websites until they reopen their brick-and-mortar locations.

Buy gift cards. Service businesses like hair salons, spas and movie theaters that don’t sell products, are hit particularly hard by the coronavirus shutdowns. Help them continue to turn a profit by purchasing gift cards now for later use.

Order for curbside pick-up or delivery. Dining out is a luxury we will all have to do without for now, but you can still enjoy your favorite takeout food at home. Most local restaurants and fast-food chains are taking precautions to prepare their food within hygienic conditions to meet the CDC guidelines. You can safely order through a food delivery service, or use the restaurant’s drive-thru or curbside pickup service. Check out the restaurant's social media pages for daily specials and deals, or just to post an encouraging comment!

Tip extra. Whether you’re ordering dinner in or just having your groceries delivered because you can’t leave your home, you can help local businesses make it through this economic crisis by tipping a little bit more than you normally would. You can usually add your tip to the total being charged on your card to avoid physical contact with the delivery person.

Take advantage of discounts. In an effort to boost their sales, many small businesses are offering large discounts on their products at this time. Take advantage by purchasing larger than normal quantities of the sale items to help the business stay afloat.

These are just a few of the ways we can support our local business owners during this time of social distancing and staying at home. If you have more suggestions we invite you to share them on Ideal CU's Facebook page. Be safe & stay healthy!