How To Support Small Businesses... In Just 5-10 Minutes Per Day!

Back in 2012, when I first began making soaps & body butters, I had no idea that it was going to be something I would do full time. Honestly, I really thought that it was just going to be something to fill my time as we navigated my health. As time has gone on, HBC Organics has gone through many changes. Being a small business, we are continually faced with hurdles. In 2019 alone, we have faced social media algorithm issues, had to buy out our contract with a marketing company, and more. In 2018, we also faced many of issues- such as hiring an assistant that stole from us and more. We've seen our fair share of issues and setbacks and always just chugged along.  Any business can face the tough things and it is never ever easy to admit that we might need some help. 

In recent months, we have experienced another big change. Social media outlets have been changing up algorithms. While we have 1500 or more followers on each of our social media platforms, only 100-200 of our followers are seeing our posts & even less are engaging. 

For a small business, this is a pretty big deal. In the last week alone, our viewers have gone down again by at least 60%.. on some days as much as 90% of our followers are not seeing or engaging in our posts. And I know that HBC Organics is not alone. I am friends with several small business owners, both handmade items and MLM companies and everyone has been talking about the lack of social engagement in the past couple of months. 

This I'm not one to ask for help. I loathe it. Hate it. While I know asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, I always have felt like admitting that I need help, especially with the business, means that I am weak and not adequate. Those are my own issues--- so I've decided to put them on the back burner and face this head on. 

We've scheduled posts, both my assistant and I. We've used hashtags. We've sent products to famous vloggers (btw did you catch us in britneyandbaby?), most don't respond. We've taken out ads on Facebook and Instagram. We've sent out coupons and done giveaways. The algorithms are just tough right now. 

So here we are, asking for your help & we will be forever grateful! This also doesn't just go for HBC Organics, this goes for your other favorite small businesses! 

How to help a small business in just
​5-10 minutes a day. 

1. Search their pages in the search bar every day. 
   1. Don't wait to see them come up in your feed. Simply type the name, handle, or hashtag into your social media search bar every day. 
   2. For HBC Organics: Facebook.com/hbcorganics 
   3. For HBC Organics: Instagram.com/hbcorganics
2. Write 3-5 word comments on their Facebook Posts and also "like" the post. 
   1. Example: "Oh I would love to see more of these!"
   2. Example: "The last body butter I tried lasted me 3 months! It was so worth the money!"
3. Write 3-5 word or emojis on their Instagram Posts. 
4. Share their Instagram posts in your stories and ask your friends to check them out. 
   1. Bonus points for leaving a review!
5. Tag your friends in their posts. 
   1. Really sit and think about this for a minute- how did you hear about the company? 
   2. Don't just tag someone, tag them & tell them WHY they should check out a product, page, or blog. 
6. Comment on their blog posts AND share them! 
7. Enter their giveaways-- even if you don't care to win. 
8. Do you know of any craft fairs or festivals going on? Send an email to the owner of that small business and let them know about it! They might try to enter. 
9. Ask the small business owner to send you extra fliers or business cards to give your friends. 
10. Take QUALITY photos of the products, you using them, and thank the small business for helping you! Leave a review of the product & share that review with friends and family. Be sure to link where you can get the items. 

So those are 10 ways you can support a small business without spending a dime! Here are a few more ways that you can help:

1. Sign up for a subscription with a small business and ask a friend or family member to go in on it with you- go halfsies! 
2. Purchase their items for the holidays & place a bulk order with a friend to save on shipping! You have no idea how big of a help this could be! If you need ideas for gifts check out our last blog post. 
3. If you have family  in other states (or even out of the country) contact that small business and ask them what type of gifts they might be willing to send. A lot of companies (HBC included) will gift wrap the items for you. 
4. If you have a smaller budget, contact the shop owner and ask them what you can get with the budget your on. 
5. Last but not least-- if you have a large following on social media or know someone who does, consider becoming a brand ambassador. Chances are all you'll have to pay is shipping and the small business will give you a coupon code to share with your followers, friends, and family. 

So here we are, here I am, asking for your help! If nothing else, liking and commenting on our last 5 posts will help! We need our followers to see our posts. We will continue with sponsored posts, reaching out to vloggers & bloggers, having giveways, and working on growing our customer base... after all our customer base is pretty darn organic! Almost 8 years in business (1/18 is our official 8 year birthday!), and we want to continue to get HBC Organics into the homes of families all over the country! 

Also-- don't forget to enter our giveaways! <3