Small business: 6 tips to help the local entrepreneur

Small businesses have always been there.
It forms the fabric of our neighborhood economy, but unfortunately globalization and consumer habits that tend more and more to immediacy are destroying it.

It may seem that for consumers this is of no importance, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Neighborhood commerce provides multiple advantages that large corporations cannot offer us: proximity, long-standing trust, local products and a personality that is very much our own.
In addition, nowadays it has the technological tools to be perfectly competitive and give us what other larger companies offer us.

That is why it is in our hands to keep that lifelong business with us, and in this article we are going to show you how we can achieve it.

In the current economic context we are more than used to the proliferation of large international companies, business chains and franchises that capture the attention of most consumers, so that for our daily purchases we go to these companies and when we need a service of any kind they are usually the ones that offer it to us.

This, in principle, brings many advantages for us as users, such as speedy deliveries, a wide range of products and services at our disposal and flexible and efficient return policies.

But we must not forget that local commerce is a key factor in the generation of wealth and job creation around us.
Think about it: most of the profit generated by large corporations does not go to our neighborhood, but to more distant places with which we have hardly any relationship.
In the long run, how does this help us?

As consumers, the role of each of us in the survival of local commerce is critical.

And if many of the small stores that we have near us already have return systems, agile delivery and online catalog updated and at the height of many of these large international companies …. why don’t we buy from them and leave that wealth at home?

It is clear that a change of mentality is necessary on our part, and that is why we are going to offer you 6 tips to help the businesses near you.
If we all do our bit, they will win, but so will we: we will have a closer service, better local employment conditions and neighborhoods with their own commercial personality.

Helping small businesses is very easy, you just need to know where to start.
Start by following these steps:

Many of the businesses near you offer experience packages that you can buy as gifts for someone else: offers on massages, a free month at the gym, complimentary spa sessions, free English classes, etc.

Why not buy one of these packages from the sports center, academy or clinic you normally go to?
You’ll look great with that special someone and help them get to know the local business and enjoy all it has to offer.

We mentioned it before.
Currently there are more and more local businesses that are up to date technologically: among other things they have a presence on the Internet and social networks, so having positive ratings from their users is a point in their favor that they should not miss.

If you are happy with the stores and centers in your neighborhood, let everyone know: leave a positive review on Google explaining the advantages of going to them and the good service they give you.
You can also visit their social networks, leave good comments on their publications and share them with your contacts.

Spread the word!

For a business where an appointment is made , it is a problem if a user with a reservation cancels his seat at the last minute.
With TIMP this is solved most of the time with queuing, which automatically assigns the free seat to waiting customers through the app.

However, it never hurts to try to give the center sufficient notice.
This will allow them to always fill the vacancy you have left and will not result in a financial loss.

There are clients who , faced with a very tight schedule, decide not to continue with their subscription to a center.

Although there are cases in which there really is no other option, in most situations you can find a little time to go to your favorite pilates, yoga, training or health center.
So, if you can, find the time and don’t cancel your subscription.

Your health and well-being will thank you, and the businesses around you will thank you too.

Whether it is a supermarket or a center that offers services as well as the purchase of products, buy them there, in your neighborhood.

Many times you will find items that are not in the catalog of large supermarkets and online marketplaces, not to mention the personalized treatment and advice that you will get in a store or proximity center.

If something is good, let as many people as possible enjoy it.
So, if the center you go to offers plans for referred clients, don’t hesitate to take advantage of it and invite your friends to stop by.

Usually, if they end up being clients as well, both they and you will benefit from a discount courtesy of the center.

And if this business doesn’t have this type of plan, don’t worry.
Most likely they will thank you in one way or another for bringing them new customers.

You’ve seen it. Helping the businesses in your neighborhood doesn’t cost you anything and both they and you are winners.

Perhaps years ago, large corporations were able to provide us with differentiating services that we could not find in small businesses, such as delivery in record time.

But the rules of the game have changed: following this example, today even the corner store will send any product to your home in the blink of an eye.
And the most important thing: it also gives you advantages that the big chains can hardly offer you, so there is no excuse anymore.

Let’s go more to the small business and support the local entrepreneur to get ahead, with all the benefits that brings us.
In TIMP we count on them from the beginning and we grow with them.

And you, are you in favor of local commerce?