9 ways to support small businesses in 2 minutes (for free)
this week marks nine years since I launched my photography business full time!
As cliche as it sounds, it feels like it’s been forever, and like I’m just getting started at the same time.
In addition to being a small business myself, much of my community is made up of small businesses: my clients, partners, team and creative pals. Behind the scenes, I see how much time, energy, resources and passion these amazing humans pour into their work and I get a front row seat to the impact, joy and beauty they’re sharing with the world.
I also get an inside look at the insane challenges behind it all. Products arriving late and damaged, invoice payments delayed, potential clients ghosting. Most of us agree that these struggles are worth it to keep moving toward our missions, but I’ve realized it’s the smallest things that help balance out the rough patches and keep us all motivated.
there are many easy, free ways you can support small businesses, in two minutes or less.
We’re all busy and imperfect, but I plan to keep coming back to this list myself as a reminder for how to support my community and I’d love for you do the same. To help me celebrate nine years, take two minutes right now to do something on this list for a small business owner you love.
This could be your…
Accountant who made taxes a breeze (this week especially!)
Coach who supported you with strategy
Local cafe where you love to work remotely
Hairstylist who makes you feel amazing every time
Copywriter who described your services better than even you could
Social media team who helps you connect with your community daily
Favorite candle brand whose products spark joy at your desk every morning
Photographer who helps bring your brand to life
Virtual assistant who’s always 10 steps ahead of you
The list goes on…
Here’s how to support them…
1 - Don’t Ghost (& thank them for their time!)
This is the #1 discouraging thing I’ve heard the most this year from fellow service-based businesses. They get an inquiry, pour time and energy into proposals, getting to know their potential client, do phone calls and answers questions. And then… crickets.
As business owners, clear “no’s” are a very expected (and: appreciated) part of the process. But ghosting, it stings! Sure it’s often unintentional, and again: everyone’s busy, but with 10 seconds and a little intention, please just respond with something like this:
“Thanks for your time on the call! We wanted to let you know we’re going another direction.”
“Appreciate you pulling the proposal together! I’ve don’t have the budget at the moment, but hope to work with you in the future when I do.”
“Unfortunately we’re not able to move forward, but love your work and thanks for the info!”
2 - share an awesome resource
Small business owners are some of the most ambitious people I know, always looking to get inspired, grow and improve.
An awesome resource is always appreciated. This could be a…
Cool tool or software you’ve been loving
Article or social account that educates or inspires
Online community or local event series unique to their industry
3 - Follow along
Amid our collective digital overwhelm, no one expects you to follow everyone, everywhere. But pick one channel where you can follow along with businesses you love. A few examples:
Email newsletter
LinkedIn business page or personal profile
Instagram
TikTok
4 - leave a review
Five stars and a sentence makes a big impact. Unsure where would be best? Ask!
For a freelancer who’s active on LinkedIn, this could be on their personal profile. For a product brand, a review on the product page of an item you love. Your favorite local business would definitely appreciate a five star Google review.
5 - offer to write a testimonial
Much like reviews, a great testimonial can be so supportive to small businesses! Some service providers will send a survey following their project, while others may not even ask. Either way, a great testimonial can go a long way and be used by business owners in numerous places… from email marketing to web, social media posts to proposals.
Even better, surprise your favorite service provider with a glowing text that they can screenshot and share on social, or shoot them a quick email with “if you ever need a testimonial, included one below!”
Less formal and more genuine is better. Just jot down a few sentences like you’re texting your friend about your experience!
6 - provide a thoughtful introduction
Referrals and connections from people we know, love and trust are by far one of the, if not THE, most important things for small businesses. I always appreciate when my community refers me to potential clients of course, but I’ve also appreciated the connections to awesome service providers I’ve then hired, fellow photographers/creatives to build community with and within this last year in particular, fellow small biz owners and generally awesome humans as a newbie in Denver!
This could look like connecting a favorite service-provider with your fellow entrepreneur friend. It could be introducing two small business owners who are in the same area. Or, connecting two friends in similar or complimentary industries, who can support and refer each other for projects. Maybe it’s recommending connecting your friend who owns a boutique with a consumer brand owner whose products would be a great fit.
7 - engage with their content: like, comment, save & share
This is straightforward, but the power of a 0.5 second “like” or a quick emoji comment can mean the world to small business owners. Unlike a massive corporations, small businesses will see and appreciate every single one.
And with the ever-changing algorithms, it can give them a big boost and make their content go further, too.
See #3 - once you follow, don’t just scroll on by but take a half second to engage, too.
8 - recommend them to an online community
Share a one-liner about why you love a small business, and link to their website and/or social channels. A few spots you could do this:
Industry groups on Facebook. I’m part of a few local photography groups and global women’s small biz groups, where people always share the best resources
Private channels, like your company’s Slack or a community’s message board. While it’s been a minute (aka 9 years) since I’ve been part of an internal corporate message board, I am part of a local coworking community that is constantly full of the best recommendations
Public communities, like Reddit. A friend of a client shared my name in Reddit, and it’s led to a few inquiries. No idea who it was, but it was such a fun surprise!
9 - tell them they’re doing great
The out of the blue you’re-doing-great texts, emails or DMs always make my day. Tell someone how awesome you think they are, or something their business has done that you’ve found inspiring or impactful.
