The Best Ways To Support Small Businesses, Local Artists, & Local Authors

With Black Friday holiday shopping and #smallbusinesssaturday approaching quickly, big companies are dominating over small businesses. Supporting small businesses stimulates the economy, creates jobs, and gives businesses owners the opportunity to live out their life dreams and have their dream jobs!

So this holiday season, I encourage you to shop small and support your friends, neighbors, and community when you can! Here are the best ways to support small businesses, our local artists, and local authors.

#1 BUY DIRECTLY FROM THE SELLER

If you can, buy directly from the seller! Small businesses that use platforms like Amazon and Etsy face commission fees of anywhere from 30-50%. This goes for art being sold in art galleries too. What does this mean exactly? This means that big businesses are taking up to 50% from small businesses and artists’ sales.

For example, Amazon takes 40% commission on book sales, meaning that the author gets to keep 60%; however, the author bears the cost of supplies. So if a book costs $5 to print and retails for $10, Amazon will take $4, leaving the small business with $6, but with factoring in the cost of supplies of $5, the author only makes $1 profit on the sale.

While shopping these larger platforms is convenient, try to shop directly from the small business when you can! This way, the small business can retain more of the profit. In the Amazon example, the small business would see 500% more profit by purchasing directly through them as opposed to shopping their product on Amazon.

Austin & Victoria brainstorming for their second poetry book, "What If"

#2 USE THEIR AFFILIATE LINKS

Artists may have affiliate links with other companies. This means that when you make a purchase through an affiliate link that they provide, they earn a commission on your sale.

For example, many online artists have affiliate links with Amazon, us included!! This means that when you click any link on our website that goes to Amazon and buy a product, we earn a small commission on that sale! Here is how Amazon affiliate links work:

• When you click an affiliate link, you have 24 hours to add products to your cart and make a purchase.

• The product linked does not have to be the product you purchase in order for us to earn a commission! Any product you buy through that affiliate link in the 24-hour window gives us a commission. This means we can make a commission on staple items such as paper towels and laundry detergent.

• You must add products to your cart through the affiliate link. You cannot add products on a different tab, click an affiliate link, and then purchase what is already in your cart- it won’t give commission to the owner of the affiliate link.

• That’s it! You can be supporting a local author, artist, or business through your regular Amazon purchases through their affiliate links!

#3 LEAVE A REVIEW

If you loved their product, leave a review! Leaving review boosts their list ranking on sites like Google, Amazon, and Etsy. This makes it easier for other people to find their products in search engines. Leaving a review also helps give a business credibility. Think about it- if you were presented two very similar products, one with 50 positive reviews and another with only two. You are more likely to pick the product with more reviews.

#4 ENGAGE WITH THEIR CONTENT- LIKE, COMMENT, FOLLOW, SHARE, SAVE

Interact with a small business’ content! Follow, Like, comment, share, and save their posts on social media! What this does is tell the algorithm that “yes, people like this content, show it to more people!” This helps small businesses gain more exposure! The more eyes their content is in front of, the more likely someone is to make a purchase from their business.

#5 REFER THEM TO YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY

Unfinished watercolor painting for Critters Who Care

Nothing helps a small business more than word-of-mouth! If you love their products, recommend them to friends and family. Share their product links, websites, and contact information! Word-of-mouth can go a long way!

#6 VISIT THEIR WEBSITE & SIGN UP FOR THEIR NEWSLETTERS

Interacting with a small business’ website helps their website ranking! The more people who visit the website, the higher the website will be ranked on a search engine. When a website lands one the top spot of a search engine result, it is easier for people to find and support a small business. For example, a person is more likely to click the first 3 links on Google than the links found on the second, third, fourth pages of Google.

Signing up for newsletters can help their business too- not only does it encourage clicks to their website, but it allows them to tell you about new products, offerings, and discounts!

HERE ARE A LIST OF SMALL BUSINESSES I ADORE AND ENCOURAGE SUPPORTING:

• Check out our “buy local” tab to support small businesses that carry Critters Who Care- they are all amazing! Locations in WA, MT, & CO!

• Token Soaps

• Atrévete Upcyled Clothing (Bonus: you can donate your old fabrics here too!!)

• Ku Cha Tea (BEST tea ever!)

Silverdale, WA Restaurants

• Oak Table Cafe

• Chungs Teriyaki

Boulder, CO Restaurants

• Tibet Kitchen

• Flatiron Coffee

• Ricon Argentino

HERE'S HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT US:

• Buy directly through us, just shoot us an email or message us on social media!! We are happy to accommodate you!

• Use our Amazon Affiliate Link- any link on this website that goes to Amazon!

• Consider purchasing our products:

  • Check out Critters Who Care

  • Check out our Journals:

    • “Believe You Can Fly” Journals

      • Blush Pink & Navy Blue Ombre

      • Lavender & Navy Blue Ombre

    • “Blue Jay” Journals

      • Yellow

      • Grey

• If you love our products, please consider leaving a review on Amazon

• Follow us on social media & interact with our posts

• Recommend us to your friends and family!

• Sign up for our newsletter- just scroll down to the bottom of the page and enter in your email!