Minot Monday is made possible through a partnership with BeLOCAL Minot. In today’s post I’m sharing 10 Ways you can support small businesses during quarantine. BeLocal has great listings of local businesses and is an awesome guide to living like a local. Check it out!
Happy Minot Monday, friends. It seems like everything has been turned upside down since a global pandemic was declared in March. Even now as states consider “reopening” many communities (including ours) have a long road back to “normalcy.”
In Minot, we are lucky to have an amazing network of creative, innovative, small business in our town. Shopping local is easy here, because there are so many fun places and nice people to support. I love the small businesses that make life in Minot so sweet. Even in “normal” times I encourage others to support them. But now, in the face of shut downs and reduced business, it’s more important that ever to intentionally shop small and support local shops.
How You Can Support Small Businesses During Quarantine
Here are 10 ways you can support small businesses during quarantine. Please note: Minot has too many great small businesses to list all in one post. Check out BeLOCAL for additional listings to explore. And know that I’m not trying to play favorites…I just want to get some ideas in your head and small business shopping on your mind. Also, please observe the most recent Covid-19 precautions (North Dakota’s are here) and continue to practice social distancing and good hygiene to prevent the spread of the virus.
Order Take Out
Minot is full of great restaurants. Nearly all of them are offering takeout, delivery, curbside pick up or call-ahead ordering. When you find yourself in a cooking-at-home rut, treat yourself to dinner “out.” As a special treat some restaurants are offering extra hours (Charlies–usually only open through lunch–has added dinner hours!)
Don’t limit yourself to only thinking of fast food or casual dining. Explore finer dining options too. For example, Elevation(one of my personal favorite eateries) is offering a limited menu, updated twice each week for curbside pick up. Their website is linked above, but they also post announcements on their Facebook page.
Take Home Projects
It’s a bummer not to be able to craft at your favorite DIY-centric shop. It’s also a bummer to be stuck at home (an especially big bummer for kiddos.) What if I told you you could still enjoy some of your favorite crafty classes and break out of the at-home blues? (For more on Minot’s craft classes and DIY shops see this big list!)
Cool, right?
Some of our most creative shops are offering take home projects or instruction! This is the perfect way to support local and unleash your own creativity. A few fun examples:
- The Foundry–take and bake projects and take-home crafts
- Margies Art Studio–take and paint ceramics
- Pocket Full of Posies–plant your own succulent kits for kids and grown ups
- Cookies For You–cookie decorating kits
- Creative Dimensions–quilting help by appointment
- Fiber Basket–Virtual knit/crochet nights and sharing free patterns
Get Coffee (or smoothies) & Take a Walk
Minot’s caffeine scene is flourishing and our coffee shops are still open and serving. As the weather turns, this is a great time to grab a coffee, tea or smoothie and take a long walk.
Since our Starbucks drive through line is chronically long these days, this is the perfect time to branch out and try one of our other awesome shops. Prairie Sky Breads, Minot Daily Bread, With Room, Broadway Bean & Bagel, and Nutrition Addiction are a few of my favorites! For walk ideas check out this previous Minot Monday post.
Make a Shopping List or Take Advantage of Curbside Pick Up
I think we can all agree this is not a time for loitering or browsing. (Which is unfortunate…because I really miss aimless wandering in shops just to get out of the house and look at pretty things.) However, many of our small businesses are open for business with limited hours or curbside pick up.
Instead of going to a big box store for everything on your list, explore small local options instead. Chances are you’ll find someone open who can tick an item off your list.
Here are a few ideas:
- Main Street Books–curbside pick up
- ArtMain–open and offering curbside pick up
- Florists–offering delivery and curbside pick up
- Gourmet Chef–hours and curbside pick up, also doing weekly “garage sales” which seem so fun
Shop Online
Shopping online is a great way to support small businesses during quarantine. Even if a shop has closed its doors for the time being, most of our small retail shops are offering online shopping. The Market On 4th has their wares and plant sales online, and also hosts live shopping events on Facebook. We have small businesses in town that offer everything from shoes and clothes to interior items and art supplies. Before you order from a big chain online, look local first!
Recreate Date Night at Home
It’s hard not to be able to go out for date night, but with a little creativity, you can have a great date night at home. My favorite idea is dinner and a movie. Order something delightful in (see above), get a movie (rent from Video Magic–they are offering curbside pick up), pick up movie concessions from Oak Park Theater (open for popcorn and candy from 3-7pm)
Buy Gift Cards
It might be hard to imagine right now, but this season will come to an end. Show support for business and organizations (even those that can’t operate right now) by buying gift cards next time you need a gift.
A gift card to the theater (or summer theater), movies, symphony, or a retail shop is a great way to keep local businesses afloat and be a great giver.
Interact on Social Media
Interact with your favorite businesses on social media during social distancing. Like their pages, share their content, comment on posts, enter giveaways (lots of these are happening and they are SO COOL!) This type of encouragement is invaluable to small businesses. Let them know you’re rooting for them, miss them, and that they haven’t been forgotten.
Support Small Businesses Online
In addition to getting social on social media, use this time to give your favorite small businesses a positive review. If you’ve had a great interaction (during quarantine or before) leave a review on Facebook or Google. These first hand accounts from customers go a long way to support small businesses during quarantine.
If You See Something Cool, Share It!
When you come across something cool, creative or innovative one of our small businesses is doing tell your friends! Let everyone know about your great experience or how much your kids loved your take-home project. When you enter a giveaway, share it on your page too. And remember to say “Thank you” to those staffing our small shops to keep our town lively and unique even during this difficult season.
