7 Free Things You Can Do To Support Local Businesses Right NOW!

  It goes without saying that it’s a crazy time in the world right now (to put it lightly). For a foodie like myself with a long- and I mean LONG- list of favorite places to eat in our city, I am incredibly worried about them surviving so I can dine-in once again. Luckily for me, many of these places are doing carry-out, car side carry out, or delivery so that I can get my fix. The realization that many small businesses might not make it through this is terrifying, not only for them and their employees but because of the impact that could have on our community. The most obvious and immediate thing we can all do to help them is to continue shopping by ordering take-out, buying gift cards to use later, or ordering online. However, we’re all humans with budgets, so here are some more creative ways you can support them without spending anything at all:

1. Like their page. Have a few favorite small businesses in mind? Find them on social media platforms and LIKE their page.
2. Share their social media posts. Help them get their posts in front of more people. You might not be buying right now, but somebody in your friends’ list might be!
3. Like their posts. Just by liking their post, more people will see it. That is the beauty of social media algorithms. Help it get in front of more people simply by hitting that ‘like’ button.
4. Comment something nice, or even just an emoji. Social media algorithms favor posts with a lot of likes and comments, so by commenting anything on their posts, it will appear on more timelines- not just your friends’!
5. Post a pic. If you’ve purchased there before, post a pic of it and tell your friends about your amazing experience. This stuff matters!
6. Shout them out. Tell people how great they are. Had a great meal there before? Tell your friends about it!
7. Write them a review. Google, Facebook, anywhere you can think of. More and more people depend on reviews when determining where they spend their money. Help your fave places get more visitors by writing them a stellar review.

A message to business owners:

We know that this time is probably already putting a strain on you financially. We want to do everything we can to help. We would like to feature your business on our social media page and help you get more visitors. Are you offering carside, curbside, take-out, or delivery? Do you have items for sale online? Is your store open for limited hours? Let us help you spread the word to more people. E-mail us a photo we can use and what information we should include, and we will feature you on our Look Local First pages and tag your business! Send to LLF@VizyPay.com

We created Look Local First to be a place where small business owners and their supporters could come together in support of small businesses, and that has never been more important.

“We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone” – Ronald Reagan