Support Small Businesses
They’ve been there for us, and now it’s time to return the favor
BY JEANA DURST
Perhaps some of the hardest hit by the
COVID-19 outbreak and resulting shutdown are
our small business owners. Overnight, we realized
how much we rely on our favorite local businesses
when we couldn’t access them. While some, like
restaurants, continue to operate on a limited basis,
other non-essential businesses have been under
mandate to temporarily close their
physical location, but that doesn’t
mean they aren’t still doing business.
It’s the local business owner who
supports your child’s soccer team
and we believe it’s up to us to return
the favor and send our dollars to
the people in our community rather
than big box stores. “We want to
be here for there for our customers
as much as we need them—this
is a time where we must all come
together,” says Komeh Davis, owner
of CakEffect in Hoover. Here are some ways you
can show your support:
JUST REACH OUT – DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS:
Many small businesses are ready to take your call
or email and work creatively to meet your requests
even while their doors are shut. Laura Player,
representative for Sike’s Children’s Shoes and Jack n’
Jill in Homewood says that one of the best things
you can do is “shop online or call the store to pay
via phone for curbside pickup.” They are offering
discounted inventory during this time, so it’s also a
great time for you to snag a deal and support two
years. It may be tempting to order from Amazon,
but take a moment to consider what happens if we
lose longstanding “institutions” like these and all of
the collective generational memories that they hold.
BUY GIFT CARDS YOU MIGHT NOT USUALLY:
Use the time on your hands to plan for the
future—a purchase today could make a difference
for a business owner tomorrow. Jessica Palmer, a
representative of Eyes on Chelsea Vision Care, says,
“You can buy contacts or gift cards.”
12 Bham Family May 2020
ORDER LOCAL WITH CURBSIDE PICKUP:
Want to keep our city’s enviable food scene
alive? Restaurants, bakeries and caterers want
you to know that they are still open for business.
“CakEffect is still making custom cakes, and
we also have cupcakes, pound cakes, cookies,
of popcorn,” Davis says. (Great options for
quarantine birthdays!) And for the comfort of a
healthy family style meal without the
hours of cooking, consider catering
companies as well as restaurants. Joy
Smith, owner of Sorelle, says, “We
provide wholesome family-sized meals
that can be pre-ordered or picked
up curbside.” If you order food out,
opt for curbside pickup, rather than
delivery services like Uber Eats who
you do use a delivery service, look for
options to donate to directly to the
restaurant. Remember curbside pickup
is not just for food establishments. Ask your local
retail vendor if your online orders can be picked
up curbside and save the costs to the business
that are associated with mail or delivery.
INQUIRE ABOUT VIRTUAL SERVICES: Services,
not just products, can be delivered online or by
phone. There’s never been a better time to take an
online class to support your local guitar teacher.
If it’s a medical service you need, don’t just
assume that only emergency services are offered.
While Chelsea Vision Care is operating from
Monday through Thursday to see emergencies
and for curbside pickups of glasses, they are also
offering telecommunication visits for pink eyes,
allergies, dryness, etc. To keep patients safe, many
smaller clinics are turning to telemedicine and you
can take advantage of that.
BE PATIENT: Just remember to exercise patience
with your orders as well. Even businesses that
are considered essential may be restricted or
operating with a skeleton staff during this time.