The COVID-19 crisis has led to uncertain and unprecedented times for everyone, but especially for local business owners. Dallas closed bars, gyms, salons, and entertainment venues last week and just announced a shelter in place ordinance yesterday. Restaurants are prohibited to offer dine-in seating and must only serve customers to-go. 

While we may not be able to leave our homes, we are not powerless to continue to support local businesses in our metroplex. Here are 5 ways to help the small business owners you love without putting yourself or your family at risk for infection during COVID-19 Quarantine.

1. Shop small for products online.

While it doesn’t replicate the experience of strolling into your favorite local shop and picking up something unique, you can still purchase products from many small businesses online. 

Wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap from White Rock Soap Gallery, keep your mind occupied by reading new releases from Interabang Books, or host a virtual Skype happy hour with your friends and pop open a bottle from Umbra Winery.

When we all finally come out of quarantine and step out into the sunshine, it can’t hurt to have some new outfits ready to wear. Check out a few of my favorite local boutiques: Groovy’s, Hazel and Olive, Simply Kate, and Fair and Square Imports. 

These may sound like trivial things to us, but to small business owners their income is a matter of survival. When the quarantine is finally over, none of us want to look around and discover that all of the small businesses contributing character and flavor to DFW are gone. If you’re planning to order something on Amazon anyway, consider shopping local instead.

 

2. Order take-out or purchase restaurant gift cards.

Dining in isn’t an option anymore for most of the Dallas metroplex. But ordering some amazing local pizza to snack on while you Netflix binge your way through this quarantine is totally encouraged! 

I’ll admit, we have been preparing most of our food at home in our own kitchen during the COVID-19 quarantine so that we are less likely to expose ourselves to any outside germs. If you are paranoid like us, there’s still another way to keep your favorite local eateries in business: purchasing gift cards. Use them as part of your food budget this summer after the quarantine or save them as future birthday/Mother’s Day/Father’s Day gifts.

 

3. Write reviews on Facebook, Google, and Yelp.

If you’re on a tight budget during quarantine but still want to support local businesses, I feel your pain. Our family is in the same boat. But there are plenty of ways to help your community without spending any money right now.

Write positive reviews for your favorite shops and restaurants on Facebook, Google, and Yelp. This will encourage more people to spend their time and money on these businesses both now and when the quarantine is over. Take it from a professional social media manager: good reviews are pure gold for small businesses.

 

4. Like, comment, and share social media posts.

Another free way to both support and encourage small businesses is to engage with them on social media. Like and comment on their posts, or if you feel comfortable doing so, share one of their posts to your own newsfeed. You might help introduce their business to your friends and connections. 

 

5. Make friendly recommendations.

You don’t have to be an “influencer” with 100,000 followers to make an impact. Post about a locally-sourced product or service you love and encourage others to check it out. You can also recommend specific products or services to your friends one-on-one if social media isn’t really your thing. 

Did you order the most delicious bowl of noodles you’ve ever seen? Show your friends over Skype. Did you get highlights last month that looked stunning? Post a picture and tag your hair stylist. Word of mouth is often still one of the most effective advertising tools out there. 

Support Local Businesses During COVID-19

We’re all a little bit stir crazy and anxious facing the coronavirus crisis in our country right now. If you have extra time on your hands, use it to shower others with love and support. You’ll be amazed at how much better you will personally feel too.

What are some of your favorite local businesses in Dallas/Fort Worth? Share them in the comments below so I can support them too!