Our ever-resilient island is getting back on her feet after COVID-19, with all restrictions being lifted on Friday 5th (except for the airport). Still, there’s no denying that after months of shut doors, the economy has taken a very hard knock. Jobs were lost, savings were drained, and livelihoods were sacrificed to curb the spread of the virus.
It’s been a very tough year.
The good news is, now that restrictions are lifted, we can all do our bit to get our economy back to fighting shape. The best way to do this is to support local businesses, big and small. We need to get the flow of money moving, and start spending once again.
Of course, everyone’s feeling more careful when it comes to their wallet, and that’s perfectly understandable. But there are several other ways to support the local businesses you love that don’t require you to go beyond your means. Let’s take a look at some of them.
1. Write a Positive Review
These days, consumers are far more careful about quality, and online reviews play a big part in their decision. So, if you recently had friendly service, some tasty nosh, or are loving a new purchase, why not leave a good review online? Most apps, such as Yellow Malta, Delivify and Trip Advisor allow user reviews. Or else, you can join a popular Facebook group like ‘Are You Being Served’ and give a grateful shoutout.
2. Tell Your Friends and Family
Of course, you can spread the love in ‘real life’ too. Drop some positive recommendations next time you’re chatting with friends and family. They’ll be more likely to take personal suggestions on board than from an anonymous reviewer. Make your acquaintances aware of places they might not have heard of. You might end up realizing your tastes are closer than you thought.
3. Follow them on Social Media
Nowadays, in our screen addicted society, social media plays a huge role in marketing. The more engagement a company receives, whether its ‘likes’, ‘comments’ or ‘shares’, the more publicity they will get. So give them some good feedback on Facebook, Instagram or wherever. Excitingly many companies now post contests for their followers (we certainly do at Gadgets). You might just get lucky!
4. Sign Up to Their Newsletter
Signing up to a newsletter from a place you really love will keep you up to date with the latest announcements. Whether it’s the launch of a jaw-dropping new burger, a cool film at the cinema, or maybe an exciting event is happening at your favourite haunt. Point is, you don’t wanna miss out! Keep informed and start trying new things.
5. Gift Vouchers
If you’ve got some birthdays coming up on your calendar, and have yet to get a gift, consider buying vouchers from the places you want to support. Vouchers are pretty ideal….they give the recipient flexibility to choose what they like, while showing you put thought into their own interests. And now that shops are finally reopening, what could be a nicer treat than browsing with a gift voucher in hand?
Throughout the lockdown, everyone was hashtagging “We’re all in this together!”. Well, now it’s time to put our money where our mouth is! Use your power as a consumer to support the places and people you love. The last thing you’d want is for them to close their doors for good.
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