1. Order Takeout or Delivery
Your favorite restaurants may have had to shut their doors, but many of them still offer takeout or delivery. Not only does that keep the business going, but it also provides income for delivery drivers. Services like Grubhub and DoorDash have sent information to customers and drivers to help ensure safe--and in some cases, contact-less--deliveries. (Some have offered to waive delivery fees but still please give them a good tip)
2. Buy Gift Cards
Want to inject some cash into a small business right now? Buy a gift card. Even if you aren't buying anything else because you're stuck at home, you can give your local shops or favorite restaurant a vote of confidence by spending even $25 on a gift card to use later, when life returns to normal. It will help them!
3. Shop Local Businesses Online
Many local businesses have online stores in addition to their brick-and-mortar locations. Whenever possible, consider giving them your business.
4. Be Patient
In many cases, businesses are working at a dramatically reduced capacity. There's a good chance that you'll experience longer waits or encounter out-of-stock items. Trust me, every business is feeling that pain. They want nothing more than to be able to meet your needs. When they can't, extend a little grace and patience, remembering that they're working hard to stay open and serve their community. It may take a little longer when ordering an item online but be patient with the small business, they are working to get you what you need!
5. Say Thank You
When you do go to the grocery store to buy what you need, be sure to say thanks to the employees who are hard at work stocking shelves and operating the store. It can be easy to forget that many of those employees are working overtime to keep their store clean and full of the food and supplies customers need. A simple thank you can go a long way to spreading a little gratitude and goodwill. Thank a truck driver for what they do to ensure the stores are stocked. Thank a health care worker for what they do to ensure we are safe. Thank a first responder for protecting us during the crisis. Thank Everyone that is working hard to keep us moving forward.
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