1. Order Takeout or Delivery

Your favorite restaurants may have had to shut their doors, but many of them still offer takeout or delivery. Not only does that keep the business going, it also provides income for delivery drivers. Services like Grubhub and DoorDash have sent information to customers and drivers to help ensure safe–and in some cases, contact-less–deliveries. 

2. Buy Gift Cards

Want to inject some cash into a small business right now? Buy a gift card. Even if you aren’t buying anything else because you’re stuck at home, you can give your local shops or favorite restaurant a vote of confidence by spending even R250 on a gift card to use later, when life returns to normal.

3. Shop Local Businesses Online

Many local businesses have online stores in addition to their brick-and-mortar locations. Whenever possible, consider giving them your business. The delivery option applies here as well, with grocery stores in many locations offering Shipt. 

While I’m a fan of shopping local when you can, keep in mind that as long as you are buying from someone in your community, you’re helping to keep people in their jobs. 

4. Use Credit or Debit Cards

When you do go shopping, use a credit or debit card instead of cash. Paper money and coins pass through so many hands and carry all types of germs. Limiting the amount of cash you use can help limit the spread of those germs, which is especially important right now.

5. Stay Home if You’re Sick

Don’t put others at risk if you’re sick. That seems like common sense, but consider using a delivery service if there’s something you really need. Many of the small businesses in your community are working hard to get through this. The last thing they need is for their employees to get sick because a customer went out when they shouldn’t have.

6. Be Patient

In many cases, businesses are working at a dramatically reduced capacity. There’s a good chance that you’ll experience longer waits or encounter out-of-stock items. Trust me, every business is feeling that pain. They want nothing more than to be able to meet your needs. When they can’t, extend a little grace and patience, remembering that they’re working hard to stay open and serve their community.

7. What is New Perspective Design is doing?

As a part of our social responsibility and passion to help small business we at New Perspective Design are offering 20% off all website, brand, marketing and graphic design services.

We are trying to keep businesses trading with online marketing and stores, innovative websites and other solutions to help dampen the blow on our local economy here in East London. Now is the time for communities to pull together.

Stay safe we will see you on the other side. 

New Perspective Design.