In the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, it’s plain to see that everyone was affected by it differently. Whether positive, negative or somewhere in between, we have all felt the weight of the efforts made to slow the spread.

As a parent, you became a homeschool teacher while juggling and adjusting to working from home.

As a restaurant worker, you were suddenly out of a job. Forced to look elsewhere in a time where not many people were hiring.

As a grocery store worker, you saw yourself working overtime and assisting people in lines backed up all throughout your store. You learned and implemented new systems to accommodate grocery pick up and did it all while putting yourself on the front lines.

As a nurse or healthcare worker, you were some of the true heroes putting your own health at risk to care for others who were sick. Navigating the ever changing policies and guidelines as we learned more and more about what you were fighting. You put your own fears and emotions on the back burner to support those in need.

As a business owner, how the pandemic affected you may depend heavily on what area of business you are in. Most small local shops, restaurants, and services were disproportionately affected by the pandemic compared to big box stores or nationally owned grocery stores.

Many small businesses were able to pivot. For example, small breweries turned to producing hand sanitizers. Small restaurants and shops implemented curbside pick up options.

But the sad truth is most small and local businesses just didn’t have the resources or ability to implement new systems to keep up with the changing guidelines and had to close their doors for longer than they could have even imagined.

As we come off of pandemic lock downs and restrictions are dissipating all across the country, some may have been disappointed to find out some of their favorite places pre-pandemic “didn’t make it.”

It’s Time to Take Action

Wherever you find yourself today, we pray prosperity for you, your family, your work places, and businesses. But when it comes to our favorite locally owned small businesses we have an important role to play in them being successful and ultimately surviving through this time.

Now more than ever, it is time for all of us to take action to support our local communities and business owners. The reach of successful small businesses goes far beyond the hard working owners and can create positive impacts within communities across the country.

Let’s look into how choosing to support small local businesses can benefit multiple areas of your life and the lives of those within your community!

Why Support Small Business?

Investing Into The Economy Of Your Community

When you shop locally in your own community or region it becomes an investment not only into the business you are directly supporting but indirectly you are investing into the health of the economy all around you.

According to the US Small Business Association and the US Department of Labor, small businesses are more likely to utilize other small businesses in their community for suppliers, banks, and other services. It has been reported that for every $100 you spend at a local small business $68 of those dollars will stay within your community. Local restaurants return two times as much to their communities than national chains.

Whether it is obvious or not, having thriving small businesses throughout your community is a vital part of the overall economic health!

Supporting Your Friends, Family, and Neighbors

Most small business owners plant their businesses roots in the towns they live in. Where they send their kids to school, where they may be on the PTA, where they volunteer for the annual community festival, and where they consider home.

When you support small businesses you are supporting friends, family, and neighbors just like yourself. You will directly see the impact you can make in the lives of business owners as you pass them on the street or sit next to them at a football game.

On top of that, you know you will get the best and most personable customer care and service. The staff of a small business are typically more readily available to assist their customers and because every customer matters and contributes to the success of their business, they truly value your needs being met.

Healthier Communities

We touched on the economic health small businesses can contribute to their local communities, but would you believe us if we said they can contribute to the physical health of a community as well.

Whether you visit a local farmers market, produce stand, or locally owned restaurant it is much more likely their food selection will be fresher, more responsibly sourced, and provide many more healthy choices than a chain restaurant, which will likely supply more processed foods.

“According to GrubMarket, buying local food has numerous health benefits—opening you up to the world of organic fruits and vegetables, grass-fed meats, fresh eggs and dairy provided by grass-fed cows.”

Getting in the habit of buying your eggs from a local farmer or visiting the small local restaurant down the street will little by little make deposits into your families overall health.

Creating Jobs and Growth

With more successful businesses in your community comes more jobs, which simply leads to more success and growth within your community. As small businesses reach certain levels of success, they will be excited to create more job opportunities for other locals in the area.

Whether its growth and learning opportunities for high school students getting their first job, a management position for the dad who just lost a job, or a part time gig for a stay at home mom to use her sales experience, jobs within small business can fulfill so many needs within their communities.

Speaking of fulfillment, those working for small businesses often feel more fulfilled in life as they feel they are making a difference, they are seen and valued, and they can contribute in a greater way to the success of a company.

The more successful businesses you have within your community the more businesses will be attracted to plant roots there, as well. Again, contributing to the economic and overall health of your community.

Helping The Environment

Believe it or not, supporting small businesses can also make a big impact in helping the environment and reducing your carbon footprint!

As we mentioned before, small businesses are more likely to source products, supplies, and services locally which requires less transportation and is better for the environment. “They typically consume less land, are located closer to residents and create less traffic and air pollution. All of this leads to less congestion, less habitat loss and less negative impact on the environment”

While this may not seem like a big deal now, you will be making small deposits into a healthier and more stable environment for future generations to come.

Torchable Opportunities

Whether you own your own small business or are looking to support business owners in your area, Torchable Opportunity channels is a platform designed to make it easy to support local businesses in your area and church community.

By connecting small business owners to customers in their area, Torchable is hoping to close the gap for those searching for services or customers through our easy to use platform.

As a small business owner you will have access to those searching for services or products related to what you do and provide. As a customer you will have access to a library of local services providers and business owners as a menu of wonderful options for you to support.

Now more than ever, it is up to us to do our part in contributing to the success and livelihood of our communities through supporting small businesses. Let’s work together to help expand the reach and positive impact small business can have on our communities today and into the future.