Five ways to support our local businesses (which won’t cost you anything!)

Northern Beaches folk are great at shopping local to support local businesses. After all many of the people who own businesses and work in them are our family, friends and neighbours.

Sadly, many local businesses are not out of the red yet so keep spending your pennies locally and look for other ways to support them (and our local economy), that won’t cost you a cent!

Our Visitor Information Centre is curating a series of Live Like a Local articles, which will showcase where to eat, drink and what to do in suburbs across the Northern Beaches.

To have a business featured, residents need to submit their favourite café, restaurant, bar, pub or tourism operator. These blogs will be promoted to visitors across the state, so this is a great opportunity to support a business you love.

For many of us, before we book a table at a restaurant or pick a date for a surfing lesson, we check the reviews online. Positive or negative reviews can have a huge impact on future sales for a business.

If you’ve had an amazing experience at a local business, make sure you tell others about it online.

Show your support through likes, follows, shares and comments. Social media platforms reward accounts that have good engagement with their audiences, so if you like the content you’re seeing from a local business, make sure you tell them in the comments and tag your friends. Or tag a business in your own posts.

Don’t keep a great place all to yourself! While it can be tempting to keep it a secret, support the places you love by telling your family and friends. Whether it’s an amazing restaurant, or the best spot to grab coffee, a genuine review from a family member or friend can do wonders for a local business.

If you have a family member or friend who runs a local business, make sure you keep cheering them on. They’ve had a tough time, and kind and uplifting words can help them feel supported.

If they need extra support, there are dedicated mental health resources available for business owners.

If you have a friend who owns a local business that might benefit from a little support, our dedicated Business Support Service can help them find information on grants and advice that could assist them. Here’s how to book a phone appointment.