7 great ways to support your local

In these times of adversity that we are all facing together, one of the best ways we can work our way through it is to rally together as a community to support local businesses.

5 mins read

Go Local: Support small business

"No act of kindness, however small, is wasted."

In these times of adversity that we are all facing together, one of the best ways we can work our way through it is to rally together as a community.

The Parramatta LGA is made up of such an incredibly diverse range of neighbourhoods, each with a strong community of people who love where they live. From North Rocks to Winston Hills, Dundas to Epping and Harris Park to Sydney Olympic Park, it's the people that make Parramatta such a dynamic place to live. 

While we are staying home to keep one another safe, many of our much-loved businesses are still open and doing all they can to serve their local customers, brightening up our days with delicious eats and great products. 

If you'd like to show your local the love, here are our top 7 ways to do so.

1) Share on social media

We all trust word-of-mouth recommendations from our friends and family more than we do that of a brand. Social media is a powerful platform to share what you love with the people you love. Next time you pick up a takeaway coffee from your local cafe, or a loaf of bread from your neighbourhood bakery, share a picture of your purchase on social media to inspire others to do the same. 

Change your Facebook cover photo 

To show your support for Go Local in your neighbourhood, you can change your Facebook cover photo to match your suburb. 

Use our custom-made GIFs in your Instagram and Facebook Stories

Next time you buy something from your favourite local business, don't forget to use our custom-made Go Local and Parramatta neighbourhood GIFs! Simply Create a Story on Facebook or Instagram, select GIF or Stickers and search atparramatta and find your local neighbourhood GIF. 

2) Tell us your favourite local business

Do you have a favourite local business that you can't stop raving about? We'd love to hear it. Tell us your favourite local business and what you love about them and we'll share your testimonial on our website and social media accounts. 

3) Buy local if you can

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit small businesses hard so where you can opt to buy from local small businesses. These home-grown small businesses are a big part of what makes our local communities so special. As always follow the latest NSW Health advice to keep you and your community safe. Explore what local gems are open in your neighbourhood.

4) Write a Google review

Google reviews are important for small businesses. If you write a Google review of a business, you help that business to rank higher in Google search so other customers can find them more easily.

Big businesses usually have a larger advertising budget than small businesses. A part of that budget goes into Google ads so that when customers are searching for products on Google they'll be more likely to find them. But this makes it harder for small businesses to compete.

A fantastic way you can show your support for a local business is to share a glowing review on Google. It's a good way of feeding back to the business what you love about them and also of sharing information with the community. You can add photos of your purchase to the review to make it stand out. 

Find out more about how to leave a Google review

5) Follow your favourite local businesses on Facebook 

Find out if your favourite local businesses are on Facebook and Instagram and give them a follow. That way you won't miss out on their latest updates, special offers and promotions. The business owners will also know their community is rallying behind them. If they post something that you love, you can always share it with your friends and family to help spread the word too. 

6) Try to order direct or takeaway

Where you can, try to order directly from the business (over the phone or on their website if they have one) rather than using delivery services like UberEats, Deliveroo, MenuLog, and others. This ensures as much of the money as possible goes directly to the local business, rather than these external delivery partners taking a cut. 

This might not always be possible but where you can, it's a great way to show a little extra support for your favourite local businesses. 

7) Say a big heartfelt thank you

Saying thank you just feels good! Expressing gratitude is linked to so many health benefits, from improving your mood, helping you sleep better, reducing stress, and increasing resilience. Letting your local business know how much you appreciate them with a heartfelt thank you goes such a long way in showing your support.