19 Ways to Support Small Businesses and Make a Big Impact

This post will share 19 helpful ways to support small businesses and make a big impact with every dollar you spend.

Small Business Support

I’m a big believer that we vote with our time and money about how we want the world to work. Supporting small businesses often costs nothing and your support can make a big impact on the local economy through entrepreneurs.

I love to see it when business owners band together. It might just be the greatest thing ever! Your small business network becomes your tribe, your people, your support system.

Many days looking back I can remember tossing out a particular challenge to my Mastermind group and only getting through it with their advice and support. Can you relate?

Since you're reading this, you probably have your hand in a small business or you're aspiring to start a business of your own. And because of that, you KNOW the positive impact your efforts make when you support local small businesses.

Let's take a break from the formal networking routine and CELEBRATE the small business owners who help make the hustle a little more fun. Trust me, there's a good chance they'll do a big happy dance right there in front of you.

19 Ways to Support Small Businesses (most of them are free!)

Pay with cash. The 3% credit card fee disintegrates business’ profits over time. Here’s what happens. I spend $10 at a local shop and 3% goes to the credit card fee leaving $9.70. That shop owner spends $9.70 at a small business, with only $9.40 going in her pocket. The cycle continues. That slow crumble doesn’t happen with cash. $10 = $10 = $10.
Commit to buying local for a portion of your spending. Aim to shop local for 50% of your purchases. Every dollar makes an impact.
Start Christmas shopping early. Behemoth companies like Target and Amazon are so easy when there’s a fast deadline approaching. Aim to make a list of who you need to shop for in September so you have plenty of time to look for the perfect gifts.
Visit your local farmer’s market. Block out an hour to browse the booths and learn about which local small businesses exist in your area.
Teach your kids about entrepreneurship and encourage them to explore kid-friendly business ideas. A simple business model like running a lemonade stand or car wash business will help them develop important life skills. In addition, we’re raising the next generation so when they see us support small businesses, they’ll be more likely to care too.
Move your money out of big banks and into your local economy. Click to find a local community bank near you.
Send a note to a small business owner in your area who makes a positive impact on the community.
Host a free Founding Females® Meet Up in for female entrepreneurs in your area. At these local events, we always ask the same question: “What challenge are you currently facing and how can we as a group get behind you to help you move through that challenge?” Then, the rest of the group pours in with ideas about how to move through that small business challenge. It’s a great way to build community and learn about how to grow a profitable business.
Become a business mentor or find someone who could mentor you. Connections make the world turn. My mentor Doris has made an incredible impact on my life and the lives of countless women I know.
Get control of your inbox and breathe a sigh of relief. If you’re an entrepreneur, self-care is essential for you to keep making a positive difference in your community.
Choose local coffee over coffee chains. Visit your favorite small, local coffee shop. Take with you a book or newspaper and just relax. A few business books that have really inspired me are Selling Sunshine by Tony Hartl, Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss, Why She Buys by Bridget Brennen, and Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko.
Hire local services. When it comes time to service your appliances or hire lawn care, jump on your local Chamber of Commerce and find a locally owned company. True Story: Early in my business, an appliance repair person came to fix our dishwasher. We were both new to business so I shared some of my favorite marketing tips, including a strong use of a Google Business Listing. Three years later, I called him back to fix another appliance. I’ll never forget what he said: “You have no idea what you did for my business. You helped me 6X my business in less than two years.”
Beat the learning curve. Read about 9 Mistakes New Entrepreneurs Make and How to Avoid Them.
Follow your favorite small businesses on social media. Share their posts, comment genuinely, and participate in their giveaways.
Leave a review. Jump on Google and write a review of your 3 favorite small businesses.
If you own a small business, thank your customers for shopping small! Everyone loves appreciation, so the simple communication will encourage them to continue voting with their dollars through small businesses.
Celebrate your employees. Stop what you’re doing and reach out letting them know how much their hard work means to you. Retaining good employees isn’t easy, but appreciating who they work for is a big step toward reducing the costs of turnover.
Adopt a “community over competition” mindset and give your time or energy to building up other small businesses in your area.
Not an entrepreneur? Take the leap and follow this step-by-step guide for how to start a business.
Build margin into your schedule to grow your business. You can’t work “on” your business if you’re always working “in” it. Building margin means moving the needle in your business and progressing forward.
Pass this post along to your favorite small business owner.

Support for Small Business Owners

It’s easy to think the small gestures don’t matter, but actually the exact opposite is true. It’s the small, seemingly meaningless details that actually make up our success. Thanks for caring about supporting small business owners. Your open mind inspires me to keep building up the entrepreneur community.

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Hi, I’m Francie!

Nice to meet you. I’m the founder of Founding Females®. Some call me a business sage because I love to empower female entrepreneurs to breathe life into the business dreams God called them to.

After feeling like a misfit in the corporate world, I discovered a life I loved waking up by starting a business.

I’m the author of Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business, a guided journal helping hundreds of women start and grow their businesses.

I’m also a passionate entrepreneurship hype girl, female leader, public speaker, and community enthusiast.

My MBA and 10 years in a corporate career and in business ownership positioned me as an entrepreneurship educator with forward-thinking strategies for starting and growing successful businesses.

As a community leader, I realized other women could thrive with the right guidance and support. I created the Founding Females® Mastermind Community that provides a safe space for women to build better businesses.

I believe that anyone with a dream on their heart can pull up a seat to change the world through entrepreneurship. Looking to grow your own business? Click for info about how to work with me.

About Founding Females®

The mission of Founding Females® is to help build a better future for female entrepreneurs through education, encouragement, and shared wisdom. We create safe spaces for women to share business challenges and receive peer support.

In addition, Founding Females® offers an online female business mastermind, a how-to guidebook for female entrepreneurs called Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business, and in-person events, like an annual women’s business conference and local Founding Females Meet Ups.

19 Ways to Support Small Businesses and Make a Big Impact