Supporting small business is as important as ever right now. In the midst of COVID-19, more and more businesses are closing their doors. It’s heartbreaking.

My inspiration for this blog post is the importance of community. We all understand what community is, but, I’m not sure any of us could have anticipated how crucial it is. This pandemic has affected every industry in someway, every individual, every family. Globally, we all are wondering, ‘What’s next?’ ‘How can I protect my family?’ ‘How can I keep my business afloat?’ It seems, there are more questions than answers these days.

I wanted to shine some light on some positive ways we can be supporting small businesses during this time ( and after).

1. Take-out. I saw a meme that read ‘My favorite thing about 2020 is that ordering in from a restaurant is supporting small business rather than me being lazy not wanting to make dinner.” HA! Made me laugh, because it’s true. We found ourselves choosing a different restaurant to support each week. Every time we ordered, we did either ‘no-contact drop off’ or pick up, and let me tell you, the restaurant staff was so very grateful!! Of course we got to eat delicious food with no dishes to clean up, so it was win-win for everybody!
2. Gift Certificates. This was personally appreciated. When we were on ‘Stay at Home’ orders in our state, I had multiple clients reach out to purchase gift certificates for later during the year; for gifts and themselves. I kinda teared up a few times, to be honest. We paid it forward and bought gift certificates for salons, restaurant’s, downtown stores, etc . . . we want our community to thrive and this pandemic has created an economical downfall none of us could have predicted.
3. Shop Local. This one can be difficult, but it makes a huge difference. Rather than the quick amazon purchases we tried to find smaller ‘mom & pop’ shops that carried the same items, called it in, and did curbside pick up. The shop owners were extremely thankful and honestly, it wasn’t a hassle at all.
4. Social Media Support– This one may not seem like it has an impact, but I promise it does. Small business utilize social media to promote their products or services. A ‘like’ or ‘comment’ on their post or page, did more than boost their spirits. It put their name in front of more potential customers. I did a few ‘shoutouts’ during the shutdown, and so many people told me later, that they had not thought of that business until they saw my comment, or a friends recommendation. In this digital age, social media and website views can help keep business alive.

As a small business, I appreciate all the love. First and foremost, I appreciate you choosing me as your photographer, it is truly an honor. I also appreciate your reviews and recommendations. I appreciate your comments, follows, likes . . . any engagement on my social media/website platforms. It makes a difference. Sometimes an economical one, sometimes an emotional one. You make a difference to small business, you are the reason that small business can be born, survive, and thrive. Thank you, on behalf of small businesses everywhere. Thank you for believing in us, for encouraging us, and for supporting us- especially during these uncertain times.

#weareone #alonetogether #strongertogether

I wanted to share a project called “Front Porch Photos.” This was started by another photographer where she called on other photographers, to take photos of families on their front porch (social distance style) and encourage them to support local rather than pay for the photos. They would then post the photo on social mediaIwith #frontporchphotos and then hashtag and share the business they supported. I loved this idea and was thrilled to be a part of this. Below are some of the front porch images I took.