Small Businesses in Durango and How You Can Support Them in 4 steps
Small businesses are the foundation of our economy and our community. In a previous article we discussed why small businesses are so important, so let’s discuss how you can help small businesses in Durango with these few steps! We promise, it is very easy!
Owning a small business can be very challenging as you don’t know what obstacles will be on your way. COVID-19 became one of the biggest obstacles for small businesses around the country. The pandemic affected businesses financially, as every business had to close down at the beginning of the pandemic which made it hard to financially recover and lots of small businesses had to shut down.
Durango wasn’t an exception… Lots of businesses suffered from the pandemic. The Irish Embassy Bar was one of them. Since reopening after lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, the bar has been struggling financially which eventually resulted in closing of the bar that has been on main avenue for 12 years. This is what their website said:
“After 12 years, we’re really sad to see it come to this, but we’ve been struggling since reopening in May and haven’t been able to get ahead,” said manager Sarah Donaldson.
So how can you help small businesses and help Durango keep its charm of having unique small businesses? Here are 4 steps that can help our town and economy!
Step 1: Shop Local
Step 2: Gift Cards and Certificates
Step 3: Leave a Positive Review
Step 4: Engage on Social Media
Step 1: Shop local
This is the most obvious way to help small businesses but still very challenging for lots of people. It is hard to ditch Amazon or Walmart but buying at least a couple of things from your local shop rather than on Amazon would help small businesses a lot!
Durango has lots of great stores that have a variety of unique products. Think about the uniqueness of experience you will get coming into the store rather than ordering online.
For example, you are looking for a new book. Yes, it might be easier to go on Amazon and order it there BUT check out Maria’s bookshop first. I guarantee it will change your mind and you will buy a book there. The vibe of the store is its unique experience, so is the personal customer service and a great chat with employees. Moreover, the bookstore has lots and lots of different kinds of books and other products like notebooks, pens, accessories etc.
Step 2: Gift card and certificates
Christmas is coming up! What a great opportunity to replace typical gift cards to Amazon or Target with gift cards to your local shops! This way you can support your local shops and share it with your family or friends. Maybe you will make them think about supporting small businesses and they will get a gift card to the local shop for someone next time?
What about Durango? Well, everyone loves to eat some delicious food. Why not get a gift card to a local restaurant instead of McDonald’s or Subway. You will not only give a unique meal at a great restaurant but also a creative gift! For example, check out the gift card options to Sage Farm Fresh Eats. They have lots of different meal options that are cooked with local produce! How awesome is that?!
Step 3: Leave a positive review
Small businesses usually generate their revenue from referrals and word of mouth. Use Google to leave some favorable recommendation to the business you like and it will help other people to see how great the business is. We are serious...Go, do it right now. It takes 2 minutes and you can help small businesses to get more customers.
Step 4: Engage on social media
Similarly, engaging with small businesses on social media can help bring more awareness and customers to the business. Whether it is a restaurant, a bookshop, or a gift shop, engaging with social media is one of the best ways to help a local business to establish brand recognition. It takes you zero dollars but helps small businesses a lot.
As you can see there are a few ways that you can help local small businesses. Some of them are even free and don’t take much time. These are small steps that can help the economy of Durango and our local small businesses.
We Are Here to Help!
Struggling with your small business? The Center for Innovation is here to help! Check out our business development resources and get your consultation today!