>>>
>>> WITH
>>> WITH THE PANDEMIC DAMAGING OUR ECONOMY, WE'RE LOOKING FOR
WAYS TO HELP SMALL BUSINESS
OWNERS.
OWNERS.
OWNERS. LAURA IS THE FOUNDER OF THE
WEBSITE CALLED INTENTIONALIST SO
YOU KNOW WHO YOU'RE SPENDING
YOUR MONEY WITH.
WE ASKED HER FOR THE TOP FIVE
TIPS TO HELP SMALL BUSINESS
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. >> SO, NUMBER ONE, IT STARTS
WITH GETTING TO KNOW THE LOCAL
BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
IT IS A GREAT TIME TO TAKE A
MOMENT TO LOOK AROUND YOUR
NEIGHBORHOOD, TO LOOK AROUND
YOUR COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT IS ON
A WALK OR VIRTUALLY.
GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE BEHIND
THE BUSINESSES AND THE
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. IS THE BUSINESS OPEN?
CHECK IN WITH THEM.
LET THEM KNOW YOU SEE THEM, THAT
YOU CARE, AND TAKE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT AND
CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY.
IT HAS BEEN HEARTENING TO SEE
THE WAY THE TIMES IN WHICH WE
FIND OURSELVES ARE REMINDING US
JUST HOW MUCH INTERPERSONAL
CONNECTION AND COMMUNITY REALLY
ARE.
ARE.
ARE. START BY GETTING TO KNOW THE
SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. THAT IS NUMBER ONE.
>> THE NEXT IDEA HAS TO DO WITH
PAYING IT FORWARD.
FOR A LOT OF US FORTUNATE TO
WORK FROM HOME AND HAVE A JOB,
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> IT REALLY MEANS SUPPORTING
THE LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT
THEMSELVES, AT A TIME OF
INCREDIBLE CHALLENGE, ARE
PUTTING COMMUNITY FIRST.
IN MANY INSTANCES, THEY'RE
FEEDING THE COMMUNITY.
THESE ARE COMMUNITY KITCHENS
LIKE THE BROWN GIRL COOKS.
BUSINESSES LIKE TOFU PROVIDING
FOOD FOR FOLKS WHO ARE UNHOUSED
IN THE COMMUNITIES AND
BUSINESSES LIKE NEW ON CAPITOL
HILL, WHO HAVE BEEN FEEDING
FRONT LINE HEALTHCARE WORKERS
THROUGHOUT THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC, BUT JUST THIS WEEK
HAVE PIVOTED SLIGHTLY IN ORDER
TO SERVE MEALS TO ESSENTIAL
WORKERS AT NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE BIRD BY
PLACE.
PLACE.
PLACE. >>
PLACE. >> OWNED BY TWO FRIENDS OF MINE,
YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, BUT THAT IS
TRUE, AND THEY SDEVENT LY
DESERVE OUR
DESERVE OUR SUPPORT.
SUPPORT.
SUPPORT. JUNE BABY HAS BEEN A LEADER IN
THE COMMUNITY.
THE COMMUNITY. WHEN WE ORDER TAKE OUT, LET'S
TALK ABOUT HOW WE DO THAT
RESPONSIBLY.
RESPONSIBLY. >> ABSOLUTELY, SO
INTENTIONALISTS HAS CREATED A
TAKE OUT DIRECTLY THAT MAKES IT
EASY NOT ONLY TO FIND OUT WHO IS
OPEN IN YOUR COMMUNITY BUT TO
SEE WHO IS OFFERING CURBSIDE
TAKE OUT, WHO MIGHT BE DOING
THEIR OWN DELIVERY.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO
REMEMBER THAT THIS HAS BEEN THE
MOST CHALLENGING TIME FOR THESE
INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS AND THAT
MEANS THAT EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS.
TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN ORDER
TAKE OUT, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE
CAN BE SURE THAT AS MUCH MONEY
AS POSSIBLE IS GOING TO THE
SMALL BUSINESSES, AND THAT MEANS
HOPEFULLY NOT USING THIRD PARTY
APPS, ORDERING DELIVERY TO FREE.
>> YOU MENTIONED THE IDEA OF
TREATING YOUR TEAM OR CLIENTS IF
YOU'RE IN BUSINESS OR IF YOU'RE
FORTUNATE TO HAVE A JOB, THERE
ARE WAYS TO REWARD THOSE AROUND
US ABSOLUTELY.
US ABSOLUTELY. IT HAS BEEN EXCITING TO SEE
PEOPLE AND TEAM LEADERS LOOK FOR
INTENTIONAL WAYS TO LET PEOPLE
KNOW THAT THEY CARE.
WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE OFTEN TIMES
RIGHT NOW IS SENDING A GIFT
CERTIFICATE.
CERTIFICATE. WE SET UP OUR INTENTIONIST GIFT
CERTIFICATE MARKET PLACE FOR
LEADERS AND FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU
AND I TO GIVE A GIFT THAT MAKES
A DIFFERENCE.
A DIFFERENCE. THEY ARE GIFT CERTIFICATES FROM
BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESSES WHO
DON'T OTHERWISE OFTEN HAVE AN
ONLINE STORE FRONT.
EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE SPEND AND
THE INTENTIONALIST GIFT
CERTIFICATE MARKET PLACE IS
GOING DIRECTLY TOWARD DIVERSE
BRICK AND MORTAR, SMALL
BUSINESSES INCLUDING A VARIETY
OF BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES, ASIAN
OWNED BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN
IMPACTED THROUGHOUT THIS
PANDEMIC, AND ARE ADDING MORE
EVERY DAY.
EVERY DAY. >> YOUR LAST POINT HAS TO DO
WITH SOCIAL MEDIA.
I WANT TO DIVE DEEP.
I KNOW PEOPLE DERIVE THAT AS
VIRTUE SIGNALLING.
VIRTUE SIGNALLING. WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
AMPLIFYING BUSINESSES,
AMPLIFYING BUSINESSES, AMPLIFYING MESSAGES.
AMPLIFYING MESSAGES. NOT EVERYBODY HAS MONEY TO GIVE
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. WE CAN ALL USE OUR VOICES AS
CLICHE AS THAT SOUNDS, I CAN'T
THINK OF A TIME WHERE IT HAS
BEEN MORE MEANINGFUL.
>> YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT,
MARGARET.
MARGARET.
MARGARET. I THINK THAT SOCIAL MEDIA IS A
WAY FOR US TO BE INTENTIONAL AND
FOR US TO BE SPECIFIC ABOUT
GUIDING AND ENCOURAGING THE
PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW TO CONNECT
WITH AND SUPPORT BUSINESSES THAT
WE LOVE.
WE LOVE.
WE LOVE. I WOULD ENCOURAGE FOLKS, AS
OPPOSED TO POSTING SOMETHING
GENERIC, THINK OF A BUSINESS
THAT YOU REALLY LOVE.
TRY TO INCLUDE A PICTURE.
PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT WHY
YOU LOVE AND APPRECIATE THAT
BUSINESS AND ENCOURAGE EVERYONE
YOU KNOW TO GO AND SUPPORT THEM
AND WHETHER THEY'RE ABLE TO
SPEND THE MONEY TODAY OR
TOMORROW, CHANCES ARE IF WE CAN
FILL SOCIAL MEDIA WITH IDEAS
THAT MAKE IT EASY FOR ALL OF US
TO SPEND MONEY LIKE IT MATTERS,
IT REALLY CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE
FOR A SMALL BUSINESS IN TERMS OF
WHETHER THEY'RE ABLE TO SURVIVE
THIS CRISIS OR NOT.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
INVITING US TO LIVE AN
INTENTIONAL LIFE.
INTENTIONAL LIFE. >> MARGARET, ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT I THINK HAS BECOME MORE
CLEAR THAN EVER IS THAT EACH OF
US HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND
LIKE IT MATTERS AND CONTRIBUTE
TO THE KIND OF COMMUNITY THAT WE
WANT TO BE A PART OF.
THAT IS A COMMUNITY WHERE SMALL
BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE THE CHANCE
TO CONTINUE CONTRIBUTING TO THE
COMMUNITIES IN THE GENEROUS,
AMAZING WAYS THAT THEY DO
THROUGH THE FOOD THAT THEY
PROVIDE AND SO MUCH MORE.
>>