A small business is any company that is operated online or maintains only one or a few locations. It must be staffed by a relatively small group of people in order to be considered a small business. CEO of Operation Benjamin, Shalom Lamm, is extremely supportive of small businesses. Examples of these types of companies include e-commerce shops that are operated by a small team of employees, family-owned restaurants that are not part of a chain and retail locations of which there are only one or two brick and mortar stores. One excellent way to support small companies is to give them your personal business. When doing your grocery shopping, you can visit the local family-owned market instead of a corporate grocery store. You may buy your school books from an independent bookstore, rather than a big-box chain bookstore. Giving your local smaller companies your business helps them to thrive and helps to build lasting relationships with those who work for the group.
It is likely that once you start doing your shopping with small companies, you will become more and more a fan of these types of shops. You are encouraged to share your enthusiasm about your favorite small companies with your friends and family. One of the main ways that a small business grows is by earning new customers through word-of-mouth referrals within the local community. While the most lasting business relationships often come from word of mouth advertising, it is also a great idea to post positive reviews about your favorite small business online. There are a number of different websites that offer an outlet for consumers to share their honest opinions about the quality of a business’ products or services. Additionally, consumers also frequently use these forums to express their experience in customer service at the company’s place of business. Examples of websites that offer a venue for consumer reviews include the famous Yelp and Trustpilot. Yelp is often used for “yelping” about bars and restaurants, while Trustpilot is used for reviewing services like taxi companies and parking rental. Should the consumer really want to leave a sincere review, they can post one with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which is the authority for honest consumer opinions. The BBB will even sometimes audit a small business.
One should show the staff and management at your favorite local smaller business that you appreciate all that they do. It isn’t easy to run a small business – hours are long, setbacks must be pushed through and budgeting hurdles must be overcome. The fact is that most small companies do what they do because they have a passion for their field and just genuinely enjoy their work. These qualities are much to be appreciated and there’s no shame in stopping by your local bookstore or independent coffee shop just to say thanks and see how their day is going. A little gratitude goes a long way, according to Shalom Lamm.
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