Did you know that October is National Women’s Small Business month? That’s right! Every year the Small Business Administration (SBA) uses this month to highlight the achievements of hard-working businesswomen all over the country – and now FFB Bank is doing the same! Whether we’re opening a business account or providing financing with an SBA loan, we are proud to do our part in lifting up these women and helping them get their businesses off the ground. But you don’t have to be a bank to support the businesswomen in your community! In fact, we’ve outlined six ways that you too can do your part in honoring woman-owned businesses this month, and all year round.

Shop at Woman-Owned Businesses

Of course, the easiest way to support a woman-owned businesses is by buying from them! Not only will you get a unique product or service from the experience, but you will also be contributing to a businesswoman’s dream by adding to the profit she needs to grow her business and support herself financially. In addition, the money you spend at a woman-owned business, especially a local one, can be reinvested into the economy. Like all small businesses, women-owned businesses are important for creating local jobs, increasing the tax base, and giving back to their suppliers and partners within the community.

Are you interested in shopping at a woman-owned business but don’t know where to start? The good news is that there are plenty of resources available to help you find women-owned businesses in your area! For example, you can search for businesses that have a verified “woman-owned business” badge on Yelp or, if you’re looking to buy online, you can use the directory on sites such as Women Owned. You can also turn to social media and find local women-owned businesses by searching for hashtags like #womenowned. Plus, you can always reach out to your friends and family to ask if they have any recommendations!

Spread the Word

Aside from sales, exposure is another great way to help a woman-owned business grow. Luckily, social media has made it is easier than ever for us to help shine a spotlight on the women-owned businesses we love! If you have a woman-owned business that you enjoy shopping at, feel free to share your experience on social media and tag that business’s page. This way, you can promote the business and introduce it to those who may not have heard of it before.

If social media isn’t for you, don’t be afraid to take the traditional route! Word-of-mouth is still a great way to raise awareness of women-owned businesses. If you have an amazing experience shopping at a woman-owned business, share it with your friends and family next time you talk to them. By doing so, you can encourage your loved ones to shop there as well. If they love the business just as much as you do, then you might start a chain reaction where your friends and family will help pass the word along!

Leave a Review

In addition to social media and word-of-mouth, you can also promote a woman-owned business by leaving an online review through websites such as Google or Yelp. When you leave a review, you once again increase a business’s visibility and help influence potential new customers to shop there based on what you like about the products and services. Of course, some experiences may be better than others. Remember: negative reviews can have just as strong of an impact on a business as a positive review. If you have a negative experience, try to talk to the businessowner directly before voicing your thoughts and opinions online since they may be able to find a solution for you. At the very least, please try to provide respectful, constructive feedback in a negative review instead of saying something you may regret later.

Become a Mentor

If you’re a businessowner yourself, then consider reaching out to a budding businesswoman and offering to become her mentor. By sharing your own experience with running a business, offering advice, and showing support, you can help guide a woman-owned business to success. Plus, there’s no need to limit yourself to one person! If you enjoy mentoring, consider hosting networking events or starting open-invitation talks either in-person or online where you can meet upcoming women entrepreneurs in your community and help them grow.

Find an Organization for Woman Entrepreneurs

If you want to support women’s business dreams but are not a businessowner yourself, you can still contribute to mentorship by getting involved with an organization dedicated to assisting women in business. In fact, there are a number of organizations that support women entrepreneurs with education, materials, and other resources, such as the National Association of Women Business Owners or the group Ladies Who Launch, to name a few. If you’d like to support the work that these organizations do to help women businessowners, you may want to consider donating to them or similar groups. Alternatively, you can always seek out volunteer opportunities that are offered by these organizations as well!

Collaborate

Once again, if you have a business yourself, you may want to consider collaborating with a woman-owned business. For example, if a woman-owned business provides a product or service that could be useful for your own company, consider hiring them as a supplier. Alternatively, you can partner with a woman-owned business to develop special promotions on your products or host joint events for both your customers. By working with a woman-owned business in your community, you not only lift up a fellow businessowner, but you also help one another gain exposure through your respective networks thereby growing your customer bases and sales together.

Summary

Whether you’re a businessowner, an individual, or even a bank, there are plenty of ways that we can all come together to lift up the businesswomen around us! From shopping at a woman-owned business to spotlighting them on your Instagram page, everything you do, big or small, can make a world of difference for a businessowner. So what are you waiting for? Kick off National Women’s Small Business month the right way by lending your support to your local businesswomen!