Shop Small and Support Local:

How to Help Local Businesses this Holiday Season

By: Barbara Oberman-Lippe Barbara C. Oberman Insurance Services, Inc. Woodland Hills CA

Published by Valley News Group on December 24, 2020 and by Spectrum News on December 24, 2020

Our local small businesses are the economic strength of our community and they are struggling to keep their doors open.

The West Valley-Warner Center Chamber of Commerce reminds us that this holiday season we have an opportunity to support our community and small business owners by shopping/cyber shopping locally. Consumers are aware of the challenges faced by all businesses this year, and many want to do their part to help. Three in four consumers say they are going to try to shop from small and local businesses this holiday season, according to an Ad Taxi survey.

Here are some tips offered by local business owners belonging to the West Valley-Warner Center Chamber of Commerce on how you can help:

• E-commerce is here to stay, shop your local stores online. Most retailers are offering their products on their website with online purchasing.

• If you are unable to shop, consider giving a positive review of your favorite store on Yelp and your social media sites. A local small business owner recognized how “shared social media posts and online referrals” have really helped his business.

• Order Take Out. Purchase Gift Cards now to use later. Many local restaurants have been hit hard by COVID-19, and their very existence is being threatened. Now, 6 months after the first shutdown, one in six restaurants — or a total of 100,000 establishments nationwide — have “closed either permanently or long-term,” according to a new survey by the National Restaurant Association released on September 14. Tip well. Service workers need our help too.  They are often suffering from reduced hours and layoffs.

• Start a Zoom dining club with your friends. Order from restaurants you dined at before the pandemic and Zoom in to dine together safely.

• Purchase e-gift cards from a business you shop in or a service you received from beauty professionals such as your esthetician or hair stylist. Give your friends gift cards for holiday gifts and ask them to do the same for their friends.

• Salons are selling DIY kits. See if your favorite salon is providing virtual consultations or DIY color kits.

• Give the gift of knowledge. “Consider purchasing consulting services from local service providers” says Lee Levy, website designer and owner of Nex Graphics.  Levy received a call from a proud father that purchased a website for his daughter just graduating high school and starting her own business.

• Purchase virtual classes as a gift. Music/ Dance/ Fitness/Cooking and more.

• Refer a friend. “A wonderful way to support local business is to refer a friend to a business or restaurant” says Barbara Beaver-Cavaleri, the owner of Beaver’s Den Antiques located in the French Quarter, Woodland Hills.  “We are depending on our local customers to help us survive. Much of our business has been word of mouth since our founding in 1967. We offer unique one-of-a kind gifts you cannot find anywhere else”.

Choose contactless pick-up in lieu of delivery services. “The spread of Covid-19 in the US has triggered such an increase in e-commerce since March that shipping volumes have consistently been at Christmas peak or Cyber Monday levels every day,” said FedEx (FDX) Chief Marketing Officer Brie Carere. “Now we’re headed into a peak on top of a peak. We expect there will be limits to capacity on certain days this season.”  To avoid inevitable delays, pick up may be your best bet to make sure your gifts arrive on time for the holidays.

“The pandemic has proved we are essential,” says Diana Williams CEO of the West Valley-Warner Center Chamber of Commerce.  “In order for our business community to Stay Connected while observing safety measures, we quickly moved from face-to-face networking to Virtual Gatherings.  Among activities, we provide innumerable instructional webinars. We are offering specialized small business certification programs which could lead to being an approved vendor on the City, State, Federal level. We have been providing funding resources and instruction. We have a dedicated Covid-19 Resources web page. We have over 20 social media sites which members use to promote themselves and each other.  Social media is filled with opportunities to refer local businesses.  We have an interactive Holiday/Dining guide which accesses website and phones with your smart devices at your fingertips”.

The convenience of cyber shopping is right here locally. Shop local.