How To Support A Small Business Without Spending Money

Of course buying an item from a small business is the most effective way to support them, my brain hasn't turned into a complete pile of mush I promise! But I want to talk about how to support a small business without spending money.


I made it my mission this year to support as many small businesses as I can. They need so much help now as they've been put in a precarious position with this thing called a pandemic taking over the world. 

How To Support A Small Business Without Spending Money


What this pandemic has made me see is that small businesses really do create and sell top quality items, so much so that it's made me grow a slight addiction to Etsy and I'm buying so many things from different businesses. The other day, for example, in one shopping trip on Etsy I bought dried flowers, an invoice template, a candle and a friendship plaque for one of my friend's birthday presents. Quite a random choice I know, perhaps I was on a mad one that day. Who knows?! Anyway, this was a little shopping spree but I know each of those small businesses I bought from were grateful for my order. 


As we know already, shopping online has soared astronomically in the last twelve months with us being stuck at home baking banana bread (except me, can't stand the stuff), creating TikTok videos and watching Philip and Holly on This Morning. So far in 2021, I've probably bought more from small businesses than I have from a high street store online. Not to boast too much, but I'm so pleased with myself for sticking to my promise of supporting a small business when needing to shop online. 

How To Support A Small Business Without Spending Money

Now, as I know from watching or reading the news on Twitter daily, I know that people's jobs are going which is so sad to think of. There are people out there who are currently worrying about making ends meet, paying their mortgage/rent and putting food in their fridge and freezer. Which obviously means they have to budget and prioritise their finances. Completely understandable, I'd definitely do the same. But just because it may not be possible to support a small business by buying from their Etsy page or their independent website, it doesn't mean you can't support them from your phone/laptop for free. All it costs is a few seconds/minutes of your time. 


Here's some ways of how to support a small business without spending money:


1) FOLLOW  THEM  ON  SOCIAL  MEDIA
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Honest to god, you all must think I'm so patronising by stating the bleeding obvious! But yes, clicking or tapping the follow button (if you like the look of the business and you think you would buy something from them) is a simple but effective way of supporting them. 

How To Support A Small Business Without Spending Money


2) LIKE,  COMMENT  &  SHARE  THEIR  POSTS
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You're browsing through a small business's Instagram page, you see a product of theirs photographed very aesthetically, give it a like. It'll show the business owner what their audience likes and then they can work from that to deliver the right photos to you, the viewer/potential customer. I do like to comment on their photos, tweets or statuses if I've made a purchase and I liked it or if I like the photo and want to comment how lovely it looks! One thing I need to work on is sharing posts. I share small businesses using the small business sticker on Insta stories but I feel I need to share their feed posts more. That's another aim for 2021 then, god, this list of 2021 aims is never-ending...


3) WRITE  A  REVIEW
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If you've bought something from a small business, leave a review somewhere! Whether it's on their Facebook page or their Etsy page, the more reviews they have, the better it is for the customer to make an informed decision of whether they buy from them or not. I do like to read reviews from other customers as I'll be able to see if the items are worth the money. What I love even more is those really efficient people who even leave a photo of the item after they've bought it. They're my kinda people. 

How To Support A Small Business Without Spending Money

4) POST  A  PHOTO  OF  THEIR  ITEMS  ON  YOUR  FEED
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With Instagram reach being so shit sometimes, I tend to share a photo of an item I've bought in my Stories as it grabs the viewer more (that's personal opinion BTW) and I always tag the business so that my audience can quickly and easily tap the tag to take them straight to the business's profile. But if/when I do post a photo of an item from a small business, I'll be sure to tag them. 


5) IF  YOU'RE  A  BLOGGER,  WRITE  A  POST  ABOUT  YOUR  FAVE  SMALL  BUSINESSES
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Now blogger's, I'm not being bossy or anything (well, kind of) but whether we like the term 'influence/influencer, we do have that bit of power of persuasion. I have written a couple of posts about small businesses I like on my blog and it's amazing the response you get when talking about small businesses. People are always looking for new things to buy, remember that. Recommending some on your blog is more powerful and effective than you think. 

How To Support A Small Business Without Spending Money


6) TELL  PEOPLE  ABOUT  THEM
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The word of mouth is a powerful tool which we all have. If somebody is looking for say for instance, a personalised wallet, send them to a Etsy to look for one. If you're looking for someone to make your child a birthday cake, recommend that local bakery or cake shop. Simples. 


I hope this has motivated you to support small businesses in your local area and online. Like I said, I want to continue this mission of supporting small businesses for 2021. I hope you can too! 

57 comments
  1. Loved reading this post, supporting small business's is more important now than it's ever been.Even though I have my own small business now, I still purchase from others on a monthly basis, plus every order that is recieved a little happy dance always happens haha.

    Claire || www.clairejoanne.com || www.kaysangelscents.co.uk

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    1. Thank you Claire!
      I will take a look at your small business lovely!

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  2. This is such a great post - shares and comments really make such a difference! xx

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    1. They really do Alice, the smallest things can make the biggest differences! xx

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  3. Loved this Lucy! Always great to support small businesses, I'm trying to do the same more and more this year. x

    Zoey | www.zoeyolivia.com

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    1. Thank you Zoey!
      It's such a good feeling when you support a small business, plus the quality of their products is always good! x

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  4. I am also an Etsy obsessive! I have bought so many things from there in the last year and it is now the first place I look for anything I want to buy!

    This is great advice, it is so easy to support small businesses in these ways. It is so easy to think that money must change hands to really support them but that is not always the case x

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    1. I'm glad I've found an Etsy obsessive like me Claire! It's the also the first place I look for when I need anything now!
      You've hit the nail right on the head there lovely, it doesn't have to be an expense to support a small business, there's so many simple ways to support them without breaking the bank! x

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  5. This is such a great way to support small business right now and a great post to read! Shares and great reviews can help small business know that people out there love them and appreciate their work! thanks for sharing x

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    1. Thank you Cristina!
      Sharing and writing positive reviews can be a great way for a business to grow and to also show love to the business and it's owner/owners! x

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  6. I think people forget how much their likes, shares and follows are worth and how far they can travel. In the world of social media it's easier than ever to support a small local business even if you don't have the funds. This is a great post, thank you for sharing.

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    1. Absolutely Jodie, it's so important to point out that liking, sharing and commenting are so vital for these small businesses! Like you said, it's easier than ever to support a small and local business right now!

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  7. These are wonderful ideas!
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

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  8. Soo many great ways to support small businesses and it's never been so important! Thank you for sharing these wonderful ideas, I'm gonna go and make sure I've left a review for all of my gifts!

    Rosie

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    1. Definitely Rosie, they need our support more than ever right now! Get those reviews written for them lovely!

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  9. Etsy is my first port of call for unique gifts that you just can't find anywhere else. Like you, I love that it's also supporting small businesses but I must admit I hadn't thought about all the way to support them even if I don't buy - thank you, Lucy! x

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    1. It is for me too Lisa, I love buying unique gifts for my friends and family!
      I hope this has inspired you to support them more on social media! x

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  10. Word of mouth is soooo important for a small business. And for someone who works for a relatively small business, reviews are also so important (as people often only post when they have something bad to say!)

    Katie | katieemmabeauty.com

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    1. It really is, the word of mouth is such a powerful and influential tool!
      I agree about the reviews Katie, people only write reviews when they have bad stuff to say, if there's something they don't like, they should be more constructive rather than being so negative!

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  11. Thanks for sharing, there are so many ways to support a small business :)

    Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes

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    1. There really is Nic, thank you for reading!

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  12. Great post. I love small businesses and buying from them but of course we can't all buy ALL THE THINGS from ALL THE BUSINESSES every time we see them. So it's important to support them in other ways and most of these don't take a minute to do either!

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    1. Thank you Jenny!
      No we don't lovely I agree with you there, we can't buy everything from everyone!
      It doesn't take two seconds to click like and share a post!

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  13. Supporting small businesses is so important - especially during these hard times. Thanks for sharing!

    Han // www.behindthefalselashes.com

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    1. It really is Hannah, thanks for commenting babe!

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  14. Great tips, totally agree on your point of word of mouth too. It's amazing what a good recommendation can do for a business!

    Anika | chaptersofmay.com

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    1. Thank you Anika!
      Word of mouth is such a great way to promote and recommend businesses!

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  15. Such a great post! I have also been trying to support smaller businesses more over the past year, I did most of my Christmas shopping from Etsy. These are all great ways to support even without buying their products. xx

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    1. Thank you Chloe!
      I did the same at Christmas too lovely, I shopped for quite a lot on Etsy! xx

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  16. I love this post. Its so important to support small businesses, especially during this pandemic when everything is stressful. I completely agree that it you don't have to spend any money to support them and loved the points you've suggested.

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    1. It's such a stressful time for small businesses right now and they need our support more than ever! It doesn't cost anything to share, like or comment on a small business's website/Etsy page x

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  17. These are such important things to do for small businesses! I've been the same lately, I found a new love for small businesses and love how high quality their products are.

    Sending light & love your way,

    Diana Maria & Co

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    1. I love discovering new businesses and buying from them if I need something which they sell!
      Thank you for reading Diana x

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  18. Aw, I love this! I similarly made a goal for myself to spend any extra money I had this year to purchase products from fellow creators! This includes artists and small businesses. Thank you for sharing x

    www.lynnmumbingmejia.com

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    1. That's a lovely goal to make for this year Lynn x

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  19. I love this post. I'm the same as you, I have bought mostly from small businesses and I definitely have an addiction to Etsy! I could honestly scroll through for hours (and I have!). I try to follow all the businesses I buy from, on social media. I've written a few blog posts but I plan on creating more Insta posts & sharing their posts on my stories. I can tell from this blog post what a kindhearted person you are <3 xx

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    1. I'm like you, I could endlessly scroll through Etsy for hours looking for gifts or stuff for myself!
      Aww Caroline, thank you so much for your kind words! xx

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  20. I love that theres so many different ways to support small businesses without actually buying when you cant, even just a RT to get them exposure is something they really appreciate!

    Ellie // www.thediaryofellie.com

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    1. Yeah a RT on Twitter is always a good way to support a small business! x

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  21. Loved this! There's so much we can do support small businesses for free!!

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  22. Love this, Lucy! Small businesses need all the support and I love finding new one's to buy from. Etsy has been one place I've been buying from more in the past year and I've found so many amazing small businesses and always write a review after as I know that's so important!

    Samantha | https://samanthajblogs.co.uk

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    1. Thank you Samantha!
      Small businesses really need all the support they can get right now. I love that Etsy has become an addiction of mine and I love buying from small businesses online now! x

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  23. Lucy I agree with you, it's so important to support small businesses. They have suffered so much during this pandemic :( Etsy is a good way to support them, even if I also try to buy in little shops of my own town, when it's possible. Each single gestures that we do can be a great help for them. Thanks for arising awareness.

    xx Dasynka
    http://dasynka.com

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    1. I think every little helps right now and I'm glad that you're supporting them too lovely! xx

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  24. I love this post! It's so important to support small businesses, especially in the pandemic. You've shared some really great and easy ways to support small businesses xx

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    1. Thank you Della! I'm glad you liked this post lovely and yes it's so important to support small businesses right now! xx

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  25. This is a great list, there are so many people I'd love to buy from but obviously you can't buy from everyone! A simple RT can help so much, especially if you have a decent sized platform X

    Sophie
    www.glowsteady.co.uk

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    1. Yeah you're right Sophie, we can't buy from everyone but the support always helps! x

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  26. I love this post. There are so many incredible way to support a small business that don't include spending a lot of money. Any support is much appreciated.

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    1. Thank you Sarah!
      All support is appreciated from every small business x

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  27. Small businesses are so lovely! I love seeing their beautiful creations and wish I had more money to spend on them all. Thank you for sharing these tips. It annoys me when people can't even give a simple retweet to help their friend's small businesses. I see it a lot. More people should read this post!

    Em x

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    1. They really are Em and like you, I wish I could spend more money on them! A simple retweet for a friends business really doesn't cost anything and I wish more people would do that! x

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  28. Love these ideas, especially when there's so much emphasis on supporting small businesses, but everyone's struggling more on the money front. My mum has a small business, and she's said she's really happy when people leave reviews and feedback online because it's going to help her get through the pandemic.

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    1. I can imagine your Mum appreciates good reviews and feedback so much and I hope her business is doing ok! x

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  29. These are all great ways to support small businesses. It’s amazing how much a like, follow, or a share can help! Especially writing reviews too. Thank you for sharing!

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