5 free gift ideas for your small business besties this holiday season
It’s the season of giving, and what better gift than kindness and a sprinkle of love for small business owners.
There’s always a lot going on at this time of year - wrapping up work, pushing through the end-of-year fatigue, and the mad rush to get your sister’s dog a present so he doesn’t feel left out on Christmas morning. What if I told you that you didn’t have to brave the mall, or panic that your online shopping won’t arrive in time?
Now is a better time than ever to spend less money, and send out more good vibes. While everyone is busy tightening their purse strings, I thought I’d compile a list of FREE ways that you can support your mates trying to get their small biz dream off the ground.
Whoever said vouchers and acts of kindness were bad gifts?
PSA for my friends and family that these are my favourite kinds
Why should you support small businesses this Christmas? I’m glad you asked.
This article by Forbes delves into more details, but here’s the short, sweet, and easy-to-digest version for you to look through:
It’s good for the local economy:
You nurture innovation and growth: Big corporates with their hands tied by the board? No thank you)
You get better customer service: Micro-enterprises invest time in understanding their clients, ensuring an authentic experience. Plus, if you have a dilemma, you won't be stuck in a chat that goes round-and-round with a robot.
We have a whopping 587,000 small businesses in NZ, and 70% of those are sole traders [Yellow SME Report 2023].
That’s a lot of hearts to warm with your encouraging words and acts of kindness!
If you’ve used their products or services (and enjoyed it), leave them a google review
You get 5 stars! You get 5 stars! But in all honesty, this is not only seriously helpful for boosting their Google Profile up the ranks, it will give them a warm, fuzzy dose of happiness.
On that note - give them a chance to fix an issue before leaving a negative review
Don’t be a [insert middle-aged white person name here]. Give them a chance to respond before preparing your keyboard warrior armour. This usually means at least 3 business days, for those of you who forget that most people are out here trying to enjoy their weekend.
Like, comment, share, and save their instagram content
Okay, that’s 4 ways that you can help. How good! There’s a reason everyone bangs on about these call-to-actions - it helps small businesses accounts reach more people.
P.s. Saving is a great incognito option.
Don’t ask a small biz for a discount. Ever.
If they have a discount publicly available, fire away. But if not, never ask a small business owner for a discount. Most SMEs are not working with bamboozlingly large margins and markups on their products and services, unlike retail giants and corporates. Not naming any names ;)
Check-in with how they are going this silly season
The lead up to the holidays can be a stressful time for lots of people. For sole traders, taking time off can be tough due to pressure from clients, financial instability, and just being generally terrible at setting boundaries. Check in with your besties and make sure they’re fitting some R&R in there.
Pass on their details to your network
Not-so-surprisingly, word of mouth is still hands down the best ways to get new customers for small businesses. Don’t forget to include an actionable way for them to get in touch - sending a website link or passing on a physical business card will make it easier for them to reach out.
If you do any or all of these things for a small business…
Give me a holler, and I’ll give you some warm fuzzies right back. What’s in it for you? Some f***ing good karma, that’s what. Bonus points if you do any of these for Rule Design. Stay kind, and save those physical gifts for another time!
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