The effects of the pandemic are very obvious around us. People’s health, day to day lives and livelihoods are all affected. You drive down the street and see many businesses have closed down- most of them are local small businesses. Meanwhile the bigger chain businesses are always busy and their online business is booming. It doesn’t seem fair for the little guys.
Fortunately, there is an increasing interest in helping small businesses that we love and want to continue to support. What does it mean to support Small Business?
1.) Paying a little extra for a product you might be able to buy elsewhere for cheaper.
Small businesses usually don’t have the demand and therefore don’t buy in the large bulk that larger corporations are able to. It’s likely they have to pay more for each product and therefore have to charge more also to make a profit. This is a huge turn off for many people but just know that every dollar counts for that small business. Even if it’s a few dollars more, consider buying local.
2.) Supporting a place that treats their employees and customers like people, instead of a number.
You’ve heard the saying “every customer counts” and this is very true for small businesses. Whether it’s an employee or a customer, small businesses pride themselves in knowing everyone’s name and treating everyone with care. We do not just think that our employees/customers are another number on a report sheet and therefore care for everyone like family.
3.) Funding a dream instead of a multi-million-dollar company.
Many people go out on a limb to start their small business, it takes a leap of faith. In addition to the financial burden of starting and continuing a business, there's a lot of stress emotionally and physically (thank goodness for yoga!). Please consider your patronage as helping to pay for a kid’s piano lessons for example, instead of stuffing an already fat pocket.
4.) That “free” doesn’t really mean free!
So many times people ask for a free class, free week, free sample, etc. That product or service may be free to you, but someone is paying in some way. Many times introductory offers or smaller sample sizes are available. Consider purchasing those until you’re ready to commit, this way the business can still make a profit and you can give something a try with minimal commitment.
5.) That your review can hurt a business’ reputation.
Many of us have used Yelp, Facebook, Google, etc and have written a review. Many times reviews are usually really good or really bad! If you had a bad experience the best thing is to talk to the employees/owners first, while you’re still at the business if possible. If not, consider writing an email or calling. It’s hard to remedy a situation if we’re not aware it even happened! Most times businesses are more than happy to try to turn that bad experience into a good one, just give us a chance. Was there something you loved? Please share that with us too. We want to continue doing things that our customers love.
Do you have any more tips on how to support small businesses?
I do not think we can place a price on health and wellness.
If you are looking for a yoga studio that embraces the Yamas of social ethics and teaches the niyamas of life, the San Diego Yoga Center is well worth the investment.
We all need a daily escape, 90 minutes of dhyana, dropping all the efforts, stressors, and letting go. The yoga instructors are a few of my favorite yogis: Charlene, Anthony, Artie, Max, Brie, Lesli, Jake, Dalaney, Candace, and KOKO!
If your business is looking to support health and wellness, the San Diego Yoga Center membership is a great way to support your family and employees' physical and mental well-being. What better investment of your federal subsid…