Small businesses are hurting more than ever and if you want to go to your favorite coffee shop, book store, workout class and/or restaurant when this is all over, it’s up to you to keep them afloat. They simply won’t make it without their communities support. So, let’s all rally behind them and keep them from closing, shall we?

This is going to require that we change some of our usual shopping habits (ehhh hemmm endless Amazon packages) but I believe it’s worth the extra effort and what some may consider an inconvenience.

Here are ideas when it comes to mindfully supporting small businesses:

1. Ask yourself this before every purchase:
Next time you need to purchase anything, ask yourself if there’s a way to buy what you need while also supporting a small business vs. a large retailer. Need to send a toy to someone for a birthday? Do it through your favorite toy shop (Merci Milo is my go-to). Need to fix something around your house? Pop by your local hardware store. Need a new beauty item? Try ordering direct from the brand or from a smaller local store. Want a new book? Call your local bookstore. See what I’m getting at?

2. Support fitness studios and instructors:
Whether you miss your favorite yoga studio or discovered someone new through IG Live during quarantine, consider either signing up for their paid offering (web, app, etc.), pay for a private workout and/or contribute to their gofundme/paypal/Venmo/etc.

3. Groceries:
Restaurants and coffee shops are using their spaces and connections to sell groceries since they can’t fully operate. Next time you need groceries, instead of relying on a large retailer, look into who in your area has a pop-up market. Our coffee shop, Neighborhood, is doing this if you live in the Los Angeles area and we offer a contact-less drive-thru.

4. Curbside Pickup:
Picking up take-out food, coffee and/or other retail items can be done curbside just about most places by now (at least in LA you can). We made it a family goal to pickup takeout once a week to help support our favorite restaurants while they weather the storm. It feels good to support and it’s a nice break from the endless cooking.

5. Hair:
Grey or dark roots don’t have to be the situation if you can’t go in for a touch-up. Reach out to whoever it is that does your hair and support them by having them make you a DIY kit then FaceTime with them to walk you through it. And beyond that, if you need any hair-care products, consider ordering it from your salon for curbside pickup or ask if they ship.

How are you supporting small businesses right now?