4 Ways to Support You Favorite Small Businesses in a Storm… from Anywhere!

Here in Portland, TN, we are on track to get nearly 10” of snow today. Winter storms like this are rare events in these parts, so we pretty much shut it all down. We don’t have the proper equipment to effectively clear the roads, and we often end up with a lot of ice.

Literally and figuratively speaking, any type of storm can be devastating to a small business. Losing revenue for even ½ a day can negatively affect the financial stability of local mom and pop shops. Daily cash flow is imperative to covering expenses such as payroll and utilities, and hourly employees may suffer when their paychecks are smaller.

Here are four ways you can support your favorite small businesses in any kid of storm.

• Help spread the word about adjusted hours. Like, comment, and share any social media posts announcing closures and operating hours. Some businesses may even re-open on days they are normally closed to make up lost revenue.
• Shop online. Virtually visit your favorite stores’ e-commerce site and shop online. Purchasing gift cards and/or merchandise can provide a much-needed sales boost. You may also find discount codes and deals as incentives to spend a little extra. Order items to be shipped, picked up in store upon reopening, or delivered according to what options are available.
• Leave reviews and share positive feedback. Whether people are snowed in or quarantined from a pandemic, we all know we spend a ton of time mindlessly scrolling all the social channels. While you’re at it, take a few moments to leave a 5-star review or leave positive feedback on your fave businesses google listing or Facebook page. Make a post sharing a great experience you had and tag them or share one of their posts to help promote.
• Shop local as soon as the storm clears. As soon as you see those doors are open again, head down to your favorite mom and pop shop to give them, not only, a financial boost, but a morale boost that will certainly give them the desire to keep going.

Owning a small business is not for the faint of heart, and as a small business owner, I can tell you a lot of what we do is for our community. We enjoy providing local services and solutions to help you shop close to home.

So, for being here with us in the Hollow, and to incentivize you to shop with us during this storm, we are offering 10% off your entire online purchase from now until Sunday, January 6, at 11:59 pm. Simply use code SNOW10 at checkout. See what I did there? 10% off for 10” of snow. Hahaha!