March 29 is National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day! As the daughter of a Mom and Pop shop owner, I feel it is my duty to celebrate this holiday and encourage you all to do the same. Here are some easy ways to celebrate this special holiday not just today but every day of the year:
1. Shop locally.
Do you have a favorite Bath and Body Works candle? I can almost guarantee that you’ll find one you love just as much at a locally-owned store. If you adore Starbucks, there are plenty of smaller, local coffee shops with great drinks. Paying money for locally-sourced products and services not only helps the company itself, but it also helps the local economy!
2. Go out to eat.
We all have our favorite chain restaurants — and I’m no different. However, we all should try to go out to eat at locally-owned restaurants on March 29th. Most restaurateurs own a restaurant not for the money, but instead because they love what they do. If you can’t go out, you can try to order in. Don’t forget to give your DoorDash or Uber Eats delivery drivers a decent tip as well — they’re locally-sourced too!
3. Have a date night.
Having a date night with your partner, your friends, or yourself is a great way to celebrate the hard-working business owners in your town. Whether you try out axe-throwing, find your way out of an escape room, attend a wine or beer tasting, or explore a locally-owned museum or art gallery, you’ll stimulate the local economy and have fun at the same time.
4. Donate your time.
There are a lot of ways you can donate your time. Shelters of all kinds truly need your support, and they provide services that are essential to your town or city. If you love animals, I suggest you look up how to volunteer to pet kitties or take puppies for walks. You can also volunteer at your local women’s shelter or at a nursing home. Pick up some supplies, create blessing bags with ideas like these, and drop them off at homeless shelters. Give back to your community today!
5. Pamper yourself… locally.
You can get your hair cut, go out for a manicure or pedicure, get a facial or massage, or try out a new exercise class you’ve been eyeing. You deserve to celebrate yourself, so why not pay for local services and celebrate yourself along the way?
6. Ask your friends to support local businesses.
If these suggestions don’t seem like your cup of tea, tell your friends and family about this special day! If you choose to shop locally today, share today with everyone you know. They may just want to visit that spa that just opened up after hearing you rave about your experience there. What about that delicious coffee from the small shop downtown? I bet you that at least one person you know would love it. Word-of-mouth is one of the best marketing tools for small businesses, and reviews from patrons are vital to their success!
7. Shop small businesses regularly.
Small Business Saturdays are big right now, but you should truly try to treat each day like it’s a Small Business Saturday. When you support small businesses, you not only help the businesses, but you also improve the local economy. You put money into the pockets of people who spend money in your town. You give these hard-working business owners and their staff the money that they live on. If there’s a product or service that you can purchase locally, you should try to do so as often as possible.
Without Mom and Pop businesses, our local economies can’t thrive. Today’s small businesses are the backbone of a strong city. Please do your part, and celebrate Mom and Pop Business Owners Day with me!
Featured Photo by Christiann Koepke on Unsplash.
