This past year has been a little surreal. I think we all keep scanning the news headlines thinking, are we living in a sci-fi movie? Covid 19, Covid 20, variants, vaccine efficacy, what’s next? It has brought on challenges, hardships, stress, family tension, sleepless nights and an unprecedented amount of hand sanitizers! All joking aside, it has made us realize what’s truly important and to enjoy the little things we’ve always taken for granted.

Small businesses have also faced serious repercussions because of the pandemic. The cost of everything for some reason has gone up: wood, aluminum, glass, shipping, you name it. Some of these things have gone up by as much as 100%! So why am I telling you this, well, it’s good to know what the community is going through, and it hasn’t been all bad. The pandemic has prompted new methods of communicating and connecting, and pushed us to pivot, create and innovate. When we are forced to change, when we are made to innovate, rainbows break through the storm. These beautiful displays of light and colour have shone through in the forms of community support, local businesses banding together, and businesses that have formed during the new climate. We’ve all become more conscious and thoughtful consumers, and it’s made us think about what businesses we’d like to see around after the dust settles. From an optimistic viewpoint, the aftermath will inevitably lead to a deeper sense of community and a larger goal to be more self-reliant. This isn’t a blog for nationalism because in the end we are a global village and we all need to work together. As we’ve learned, if there’s a virus, we’re all vulnerable, if there’s pollution we’re all exposed, but we can do both: protect our society and communities, and support global initiatives and symbiosis. Below are some tips on how to support small businesses and the big impact small businesses have

Why Small Businesses Are Important

Customer Care Matters to a Small Business

• Customer care is number one for a small business
• Smaller team sizes
• Communication is often directly with the owner
• There is so much passion put into small businesses
• Questions and concerns are more easily answered

Small Businesses Support the Community

• Small businesses create jobs for people in the community
• Hire local companies for any additional work (construction, certification bodies, etc)
• Those companies also employ local workers, creating jobs for more and more people
• Charity and volunteer work in the community they live and work in
• Grow with their community

Small Businesses are Transparent & Honest

• Are open about their purchasing and production methods
• Typically use higher quality materials and ingredients because they source locally
• Consumers know what they are getting with the finished product
• Follow a set of core values that are reflected in everything they do from customer care to daily operations, production and testing methods etc

How to Support a Small Business from Home

Social Media

Follow

Most small businesses will have social media pages that you can follow. Many small businesses rely on social media for a lot of their advertising. You can find pictures of products and a ton of valuable information on their pages. Social pages will also keep you up to date on any promotions or giveaways going on.

If you like a brand, following them on social media, it helps build their presence and get the word out about them. This is often important for a company if they want to work with larger retailers. For instance, if a company wants to sell wholesale to a well known retailer, its social following may be considered as a determining factor.

If you’d like to follow, Thrive Remedies check out our Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube account.

Like, Share & Comment

Instagram and Facebook use an algorithm when showing posts in people’s feeds. The more engagement a post has (likes, comments, shares, clicks), the more likely it will be visible to other people. Engagement on a post also encourages other people to like, comment and share, leading to potentially more followers. When you engage with a post, it will often show up in your Facebook timeline where your friends can see it. Engaging with a post also keeps you active, so you will continue seeing posts from the page you follow regularly. Liking also makes a business feel good, it’s a way of telling them you like what they are doing. Comments can provide feedback and suggest new ideas for content.

Sign up for Email Newsletters

Signing up for email newsletters keeps you updated on any new content like blog posts and video releases. It also lets you know when there are new product releases or new retail locations. Website traffic is also super important for a small business’s online presence, and emails are an excellent way to get more traffic to their site.

Sign up for the Thrive Remedies monthly email newsletter, we promise, it won’t clog up your inbox!

Reach Out

Say Hello

Send a message to a small business. At Thrive Remedies, we love hearing from our customers. It’s a great way to give feedback and ask any questions about the products. If there is any content you would like to see on our social channels, sending a message is a great way to let us know.

Contact Thrive Remedies

Word of Mouth

Tell People About the Product

If you like a product, tell people about it or shout it from the rooftops if you want. Word of mouth truly is the best method to promote a small business. Tell people about your experience with the products. You can also request products at your favourite local grocery store, talk to store managers or send an email.

Leave a Review

The first thing someone does when deciding to purchase from a new business is search for product reviews. Reviews build trust for a small business and helps others when making buying decisions about the products. You can leave reviews on Facebook, Google or other review sites and direct message a company.

Leave a review for Thrive Remedies.

Purchase

Check if they Sell Online

Before Covid-19, many small businesses had in person shopping only, but many have turned to online sales with the shutdowns. A lot of them have started offering delivery and pick up through online portals or phone purchases. You can check their website or contact them directly to find out if they sell online.

Thrive Remedies can be purchased online through several local retailers such as The Local Food Supply, Legends Haul, SPUD and Plant Life Nutrition. You can head over to our website to see our complete list of retailers.

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