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brandsPosted by Tess Davis on 16th Mar 2020
by Tess Davis, Greencity intern
At present, the world is shrouded in a nervous and
uncertain atmosphere due to the increasing threat of the coronavirus pandemic.
The COVID-19 strain is a huge concern for our health, but also for the economy
and our local, national and global community. While the government are putting
in measures to support statutory sickness payments for many workers across the
UK, those who are self-employed are increasingly worried about how to prepare
for the economic hit to their business, their staff and their income. Here are
a few tips to help minimize the impact on your local brands, shops, restaurants
and cafes:
1. Prioritise
Local Businesses
As less and less people are choosing to eat out, and
more and more people are told to work from home, it is essential to prioritise
local businesses who are going to be hit the hardest. Multi-national companies
have far greater resources to survive an economic crisis of this magnitude,
rather than an independent café or food shop that relies heavily on local foot
traffic. Not to mention a lack of staff due to self-isolation and illness,
which may disrupt opening times. With the added strain of less tourism due to
travel bans, it is vital that those in the resident community choose to grab a
coffee at a small café, rather than heading to a global organisation for their
caffeine hit. Who knows, you might even discover a new favourite spot, or
develop a new craving for a local sweet treat! Another great option to support your
local businesses is to purchase a gift voucher right now for a future visit – this
will help them maintain their cashflow even if you can’t visit in person right
now.
2. Interact
through Social Media
Social media is essential for business visibility,
especially for small brands and cafes who don’t have a dedicated marketing team
to call upon in this turbulent economic climate. Self-isolating at home? Why
not like a few posts on your local café’s Instagram account? Or maybe tweet
about an amazing local product that you love? Getting online and interacting
with a small-town brewery or a zero-waste shop at the end of the street will
have a massive impact on their ability to reach new customers. Long-term, your
social media engagement is likely to encourage trade in the COVID-19 aftermath,
and help local business owners to recover from the losses sustained during this
period.
3. Write
a Review
Another way you can support smaller businesses from
the comfort of your own living room is by writing a review on their Facebook
page, Google or TripAdvisor. Positive comments from customers online produce an
average 18% increase in sales according to WebsiteBuilder.org,
and a larger amount of reviews push businesses up online search results lists.
Now more than ever, where consumers are limiting their time in public spaces
and carefully selecting where to spend that time, it is important that our
local businesses are being seen, considered and chosen as destinations. Do you
know an independent café that always delivers on flavour, or maybe a small shop
with incredible customer service? Now is the time to write a short review and
show them some love!
4. Get
Involved with Community Events
Local businesses are excellent for setting up
community events and fundraising as a way of giving back to those around them,
and that has been no different since the COVID-19 outbreak. For example, Roots Edinburgh
have been collecting soap and clean towels for the homeless, who are especially
vulnerable to infection, and Little Green
Newcastle are setting up free phone consultations about ways to
improve your immune system. Why not get involved and keep an eye out for events
on social media, to help those around us who are less fortunate?
5. Let
Greencity Help
As a workers cooperative, it is our duty as a company
to provide advice for those that need it, and never has it been more important
within our community to offer up our services. In fact, the last of the global ‘7
Cooperative Principles’ is Concern for Community, which states ‘Cooperatives
work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies
supported by the membership’, which hangs alongside the other six Principles
in the GC HQ main hallway. That’s why we encourage any small business that is
in need to contact us on any of our social media channels or our website.
Without our amazing suppliers and customers, Greencity would not exist, and we
are determined to tackle this present economic threat together.
The future is uncertain, and currently we are all taking each day as it comes. Please make sure to look after your health, and look after those around you. Any local purchase, no matter how small, will be greatly appreciated by the incredibly dedicated business owners bravely facing this crisis head on. You have the power to make a difference.