How to Support Gallup & McKinley County Businesses on Small Business Saturday (Even While Sheltering in Place)

Small Business Saturday has become an annual tradition that reminds the entire community to celebrate the wealth of locally owned businesses within our community. Our state may be on lockdown but we can still support them, and need to now more than ever. 

Local businesses make a significant impact on our economy. So significant that each dollar spent helps to create jobs at both that business and the ones who support them. In fact, every ten jobs created at a local business, support an additional seven jobs within the community (Small Business Economic Impact Study, 2018). 

Small Businesses Make a Sizeable Impact 

According to The Small Business Economic Impact Study, conducted by American Express in 2018, this impact is possible because for every dollar spent at a local business –

• 67 cents stays within the local economy
• 50 cents is created in local business activity (outside of that particular business)

Your Dollars Make their Impact Possible

As a community member you can help our local businesses to grow the economy by spending your money locally. Instead of ordering online with an out of town business, visit a local boutique’s website for holiday gifts, purchase your holiday outfits from a local shop, buy your decorations locally, etc. It all adds up. 

How to Support Businesses While Social Distancing

Instead of ordering from Amazon, visit the websites of local stores specifically. Many of them offer curbside pickup and delivery, allowing for you to remain socially distanced while helping to keep our small businesses going. 

Think about the businesses that you typically buy from, restaurants you eat at, ice cream shops you visit for desert, boutiques you purchase from for holiday gifts, etc. Then, visit their website and Facebook pages to find out if they are taking orders online or over the phone, if they offer curbside pickup or delivery, and if they are providing services virtually. In many cases, they will be. Continuing to purchase from these businesses, even in a reduced capacity, can help to keep people employed. Other suggestions include -

• Purchasing gift cards to be used at a later date
• Ordering dinner delivery for friends, family and colleagues you would normally have dined with and eating together over video conferencing 
• Purchasing subscriptions and memberships from local organizations and giving those as gifts

Small Business Saturday is Almost Here

Small Business Saturday is November 28th. This is a day where many local businesses kickoff the holiday season, where they make a large portion of their revenue. Remember to visit the Facebook page of local businesses to find out how they are participating and plan on showing your virtual support. COVID-19 won’t last forever and once it is under control, we will need these local businesses to still exist so that we can enjoy shopping and dining there.