I started Rachel Standifird Photography because I found something I really enjoy doing and that brought others a needed service and, I hope, some measure of joy. When I see that I have captured that perfect moment and that memory of a life time, it is all worth it. Decades from now this couple will sit down with their grandchildren and share these photos and the happiness they felt and hopefully still feel. I helped make that possible.
I suspect that most small business owners have some element of that motivation as well. We all hope to provide a living for ourselves and our families but we realize we can only do so as we provided a product or service others need or want. It is not easy and there are many challenges and many, many long hours doing things you don’t enjoy. But it is worth knowing that we personally improved another’s life or helped them carry a burden or meet a challenge because of a talent we have. The freedom we enjoy in America allows us that unique opportunity as we struggle to provide for ourselves and our families.
Obviously it has been a really difficult season for small business owners and there is a ripple effect as our families and those we serve are impacted. I have put together a few ways to help small businesses, our friends, family and neighbors, through these challenging times.
Ways to Help Small Businesses
- Like, Comment, Share, and Save on social media
Social media has complex algorithms that for the life of me I have not been able to truly understand. However, I do know that the more a person’s content is interacted with the higher it will rank and the more likely it is to show up on news feeds and searches. The same concept is true of interacting with a website. So if you like a post leave a comment or share it to your personal page. Take a second to answer the questions in a poll or click the link in the bio! It doesn’t have to take long but it REALLY can help boost a small business when you interact with them online.
- Purchase a gift card or product
This one is obvious but I couldn’t leave it off the list. If you love someones product, purchase it. If it is a service you can’t use right now but would like to in the future purchase a gift card.
- Leave a review
Another fantastic way to help a small business is by leaving a review. This helps the business in two ways. First it increases the interaction the business is getting online, thus increasing its rating for searches. It is also a great tool business owners can use to create trust with future clients. Let’s be honest, in this day and age everyone reads reviews. Even on simple purchases the reviews are out there and people take advantage of them. So if you had a positive experience with a business ask where you can leave a rating and review. Reading reviews from clients always brings me so much joy, so often small business owners are pouring their heart into their dreams and a little love from our clients goes such a long way.
- Refer a friend
Finally and probably most obviously if you had a great experience refer friends who might be interested in the same product or service!
In the spirit of practicing what you preach, I would love to share a few small business who’s content I have really enjoyed over the past few years. I recognize that none of these businesses are as small as my own, but they are also not Amazon.
- Honey and Salt Cake Co. – https://www.honeyandsaltcakeco.com
Ryan runs an incredible luxury bakery specializing in wedding cakes. I’ve had the honor of photographing a few of her cakes and they are both beautiful and delicious. I LOVE the way Ryan runs her instagram account. She does an incredible job of letting you into her amazing creative process as well as shows beautiful final products. She has created such a fun space and I enjoy watching her stories and following her journey.
- The Doodle Shop- https://www.kaylakittsphotography.com/the-doodle-shop-products
Kayla is a talented photographer and artist. She recently opened the cutest shop full of original colorable illustrations. She has monthly sheets as well as colorable stickers and full books. Her holiday shop is full of cute colorable fun to include wrapping paper! How neat! I am looking forward to letting my two year old daughter, Sofi, color the wrapping paper we send out to family and friends.
- CPT Fit Co.- https://clairepthomas.com
Not a local business but still an amazing small business I enjoy. I have bought a few of Clair’s fitness guides and let me tell you, they are AWESOME. I am currently working through the home body guide and it is perfect for a busy mom who enjoys a good burn. Clairs instagram account is one I truly enjoy. She shares workouts, recipes and over all positive encouragement for each individual’s fitness journey. As a little warning her account is full of pictures of a shredded athlete’s so if that is triggering in any way, it may not be the account for you.
- Busy Toddler- https://busytoddler.com
Susie Allison’s Instagram account and blog are full of amazing simple fun activities for all my mom friends out there. She shares encouraging words and an amazing outlook on parenting. I have purchased her parenting book and preschool curriculum and absolutely love them. Simple, fun, engaging, and positive parenting resources for parents of younger kids.
- Kayla Gale Artist and Illustrator- https://www.kaylagale.com
Kayla Gales incredible art. Her instagram handle slow.season really speaks to my heart. As I sat in the NICU alone unable to hold my sweet baby I found myself scrolling through her website soaking up the way she depicts motherhood. She makes custom paintings as well as prints and it is all beautiful and heartfelt.
- Emily Boyd educator extraordinaire –
My final small business pick is Full transparency, Emily is my sister. So, I have always been biased towards this amazing woman and her many talents. She creates educational content for teachers. She has been an educator for many years and now creates curriculum for parents and teachers. I love it!
