3 easy ways you can support Charlotte businesses without even dropping a dime
The rallying cries to “support local” have been heard since March, when COVID-19 became part of our day-to-day lives. Since that time, more and more Americans, and North Carolinians have lost their jobs. According to the CLT Alliance Economic Impact Survey presented by the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, from March 14 until May 9, the total unemployment claims in North and South Carolina totaled more than 1.3 million.
Since this report was originally presented, 2020 has continued to be a year of change. First, there was the COVID-19 pandemic followed by significant unemployment numbers. Now, Charlotte has witnessed weeks of protests against systemic racism and police brutality after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and has lost the biggest chunk of the Republican National Convention, expected to bring in more than $150 million into the local economy, in August.
While the numbers of unemployment claims continue to rise, many Charlotteans still want to support local businesses, such as restaurants, shops, and galleries but are concerned about their jobs and financial stability. We reached out to locals who work with many different businesses and artists to ask what people can do to support without putting themselves into a tough financial situation.
Support businesses on social media
“The easiest, no-spend option is social support,” said Rachel Sutherland, founder of Rachel Sutherland Communications, which represents businesses such as Leah & Louise, Sabor Latin Street Grill and What The Fries.
“Sharing, retweeting or liking a post from a friend/creative/local business is an incredibly effective way to do something. Social media engagement may not seem like a big deal, but engagement is a great way to support and spread the word about a business or product. Think of it like dropping a pebble in a pond — with an intentional act (one like on Instagram or one retweet on Twitter, for example), the concentric movement continues outward.”
Write reviews
“People leaving reviews for their favorite local businesses is not only an easy way to encourage businesses in these tough times, but it also helps the community find them once we’re all ready to get back outside and go out to eat or shop in stores,” said Nikki Wolfe, Yelp Charlotte’s senior community director.
“You have no idea how much it means to a local business owner when they read your words of encouragement.”
Follow and spread the word
.JPG "Boris “Bluz” Rogers (photo courtesy of JSW Media).JPG")
“A vast majority of my clients are creatives — authors, performing artists, motivational speakers, and musicians— who rely heavily on their fans and followers to help disseminate their content so their work can be seen by more people — the more eyes the better,” said Jameka Whitten, CEO of JSW Media Group.
.JPG "Mason Parker (photo credit_ Joshua Galloway).JPG")
“Support to them, aside from the monetary aspect, means following, liking and reposting (with credit) on social media, joining their mailing lists, providing solid referrals, giving positive online reviews, or otherwise helping to amplify their messages so they can reach a wider audience. I believe that support is an action word that isn’t always about money; simply, support is about caring enough to share.”
This story was originally published June 26, 2020 at 12:29 PM.
