7 ways to support local businesses without spending money

Last November, Tucson maker Lulu Tineo posted a glimpse of her store on Instagram with a small plea.

"If 1% of my followers shared this video, I could reach a minimum of 10,000 new people," wrote Tineo, who owns Yōlia Botánica.

When all was said and done, the video actually reached more than 150,000 views. While 150,000 new people didn't visit her store or open their wallets, each of those viewers helped play a part in what happened next. The viral video landed on the feeds of shoppers who hadn't yet heard of her store, which led to real purchases of her metaphysical tools and floral bundles.

According to Local First Arizona, if a city the size of Tucson shifted 10% of its spending from chains to local businesses, it would lead to 1,600 new jobs, $53 million in new wages and more than $130 million in total economic impact. 

"When you spend here, your money stays here," Local First Arizona says, adding that $43 of every $100 spent at a local business stays in the economy. That's compared to $13 for every $100 spent at a chain.

"If we can really support the moms-and-pops here, we can not only see that local business grow, but we can see them giving back to the community and see the recirculation of our funds," says Ashley La Russa, the founder of Blax Friday, a database of Black-owned businesses across the state.

There are plenty of ways you can help small businesses — even if you can't always support them financially. These waves of support can eventually lead to tangible purchases made by community members.

"If people are heading to big-box stores and chain restaurants, you take out all the things that make that particular town or region special," says DeeDee Koenen, co-owner of local shop Pop Cycle and co-organizer of the biannual Made In Tucson market. "Even with Made In Tucson, to have 300 people on the street to interact with is invaluable. It's what makes Tucson, Tucson — otherwise it could be anywhere in America. It just has this flavor that makes this place different than some place else. If you don't have that, it becomes kinda bland and homogeneous. I think Tucson is a place that is genuinely kinda soulful and I think that's the thing we all want to retain and be careful that we're being good stewards of."

"It doesn't always have to be about transactions," she adds. "It's about the relationship." 

Here's how you can help a local business, even when you can't open your wallet.

1. Engage with their posts on social media

There's a reason why you might see Pima Animal Care Center asking you to share their Facebook posts — there's power in numbers and power in social media. 

Blax Friday launched in 2020 when we were stuck in our homes, unable to visit markets or shops in person, so La Russa encouraged the community to follow local businesses on Instagram and Facebook.

"It's such a great activation to have people in your community liking and following you," La Russa says. "That next step in social media engagement is commenting and telling people, 'Ooh, that looks good' or 'I can't wait to go to your grand opening.'"

Engaging with a social media post — liking, commenting, sharing — can help the platform's algorithm boost the page. Typically, the more engagement on a post, the more likely it is that the algorithm will show the post on more users' feeds.

"I think the biggest thing is leaving comments," says Cyn McManus, who creates jewelry under the name Lilith + Daughters, is the organizer behind the seasonal Makers Market at The Tuxon and works with two other creatives to host the biannual Making Black History Market. "Drop a comment because that is the biggest help and the algorithm will notice. Just stop for a second and think about what you're looking at."

Social media can garner real results. When Pop Cycle posts a new item on Instagram, owners will often see that specific item in the bestsellers all week long. 

"Social media has such a direct link to what people see and how they participate," Koenen says. "Let's say we're collecting water bottles for the community. We'll put it out and somebody will show up with 50 water bottles. Our community is so amazingly generous and they're looking for ways to interact and I feel like social media is an instrument for that."

You benefit, too — social media is often where you can find local businesses organizing giveaways, alerting customers if they're about to sell out of a particular item, and breaking updates about discounts and new locations. It's also where you can get to know the owners behind the magic — I've laughed more times than I can count at the clips posted by Sydney's Sweet Shoppe and Dirty T Tamarindo. 

2. Tell a friend 

When I love a restaurant, shop or service, I sometimes assume everyone already knows about it. "What do you mean you've never heard of Tran's Fats?!" I've said to my mom before. You might love a certain small business, but your friend, sister or aunt may have never heard of it. Tell them why you love it!

For Pop Cycle, word of mouth can be even more important than social media. 

"I would definitely say word of mouth is so important because the truth is, it just helps build community," Koenen says. "If your friend tells you about something, you're more likely to try this new restaurant or shop."  

La Russa also runs Queer AF, where she hosts LGBTQ+ events like pool parties and open mics. It can be hard to tell from social media if a certain place serves as a safe space, but word of mouth — hearing from a friend you trust that a space felt inclusive and inviting — gets the job done.

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"I think there's a lot of disservice to word of mouth because we get caught up in social media," McManus says. "I just want bodies in the room. Being at an event and seeing people at the event whether or not they’re buying, it's a nice thing to see — they’re going to tell somebody they went and did this thing and you have no idea when that'll pay off, but it will."

When she might need a little push to do more for our local creatives, McManus takes inventory of everything she owns from small businesses. The items around her house serve as reminders of who she has supported and how she can continue to support them.

"I have three hats from Clever Stitches, I went to rugby practice and I was wearing my Sophie McTear shirt," she says. "When I'm looking around my house, I make note of how much stuff I actually have from a small business. That's a good reminder. If I haven't bought anything in a while or I haven't posted anything in a while, it's like, 'No, I see that thing, I see that thing,' it's a reminder of small businesses."

3. Post a photo on social media

When I visit a fun museum, try a tasty new-to-me restaurant or buy a cute new sticker, I often post about it on social media. You don't have to have a lot of followers for this to make an impact — there have been times when I've posted a photo in a shirt designed by a small business, which actually led to two of my followers buying the same one.

"If my friend who knows your friend loves something, I want to know about it. Where did you get that bag? Where are we going to have happy hour?" La Russa says. "Especially when it comes to local businesses — like, did you know we have this new spot on Broadway and Congress doing tapas, Basqueria? I haven't gone yet but that was word of mouth. Someone said it was delicious and showed me photos."

4. Tell a business about a maker you love

You might notice products made by your favorite artists at shops around town. Turtle's Soup has stickers in Hunter's Kitten Lounge, Jos Par has shirts in Bookmans, Studio Katagami has mugs in Arizona Poppy, Cactus Clouds Art has artwork in Hotel McCoy.

Even local cafes and restaurants carry goodies from Tucson vendors: Houlden's Rise Above has pastries at Presta, Ate Kei has cookies at The Korean Rose, Cal's Bakeshop has doughnuts at Stacks Book Club.

If there's an item you really love, tell a shop or eatery about them.

This summer, Creative Kind had to unexpectedly close their brick-and-mortar in La Encantada. The business was forced to pivot, now focusing on expanding their lines of adorable greeting cards and stickers alongside growing partnerships with shops around town.

"If you have a favorite shop, please send them our info and tell them you'd love to see our cards and stickers in their shop!" they posted on Instagram in May. "This is a HUGE way to keep us going."

5. Leave a positive review or send a note of encouragement

I think we've all fallen victim to reading reviews of restaurants on Yelp before driving over or choosing a mechanic because of that glittering feedback online. If you really love a place, let the world know! (Though take reviews with a grain of salt; there are always trolls out there, La Russa and McManus note.)

"There are people who are going to visit a place and they do their research. They get on Yelp or Google to see if that's a place they want to interact with," Koenen says.  

In many cases, small-business owners are the ones who run their social media and read through all their direct messages. Even sending a kind note to their private DMs can be a heartwarming way for them to start their day.

"Sometimes just coming in and saying a kind word is super helpful. If you hear 10 nice things and one s—tty one, you get stuck on the s—tty one," Koenen says. "People do it all the time, they say, 'We're not buying anything but we're happy you're here.' Small-business owners are putting their heart and soul into it and wondering if it's working. Sometimes it's not about the money that's spent, it's about the love and intent."

6. Sign up for a newsletter

Stay informed about your favorite local businesses by signing up for their email newsletters or text alerts. It's not uncommon for businesses to send out discounts, secret menus and sneak peeks of new items to their newsletter recipients.

"I really like the idea of newsletters," McManus says. "It's that old-school sort of thing, it's another way of showing support for people who are putting effort into their business." 

7. Volunteer your time

You don't have to spend money to support nonprofits in town. Become a docent at Reid Park Zoo, harvest produce at Mission Garden, prepare crafts at The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, greet visitors at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, hang up flyers for BICAS, help with shelter maintenance at the Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter. You can even volunteer at cornerstone events like Tucson Meet Yourself and Made In Tucson.