How to Include Your Kids in Supporting Small Business

by | Nov 10, 2020 | Consumers, Engage Small

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The #EngageSmall movement is one for all ages, so don’t forget to include the younger generations! It is easy to forget about the kiddos when deciding on where to shop and why to shop there, so 26Made collected our favorite ways on how to include your kids in supporting small businesses:

Explain The Difference

To kids, stores may just be stores, no matter their size. But as adults, we know there’s a tremendous difference between small and big business. Don’t be afraid to start to explain them to your kids at an early age. Heading to Target then your local hardware store? Explain why you buy some items at the big box store and why you’ll take the time to buy that new hammer and nails at Bob’s Hardware around the corner.

Make the Connection

Have a family member or close friend who owns a small business? See if it’s possible to visit them at their workplace. Having a personal connection will engage kids in the topic even further. Even a quick visit – perhaps paired with a quick tour of a cool facility – can be a neat way to further explain how small businesses play a part in their daily lives.

Kid’s Choice

After setting the groundwork, you can empower kids to choose small businesses by giving them the opportunity to in real world situations. Going out to dinner? Give them two or three local restaurant options to choose from, and then over dinner, pepper in why it’s important to support “mom and pop” operations in between bites. 

Reap the Rewards

Looking to incentivize your child for a job well done? Utilize their favorite small business! Reward them with a gift card to that retailer, then take your child there when they reached their goal, won that big game or received an A on their report card. Another option: promise a night out to a fun, age-appropriate activity that the whole family can enjoy. We all need a little more quality time together, after all!

Let Them Tell the Story

If you are comfortable with sharing your children on your social media feeds, let them get a word in on why they love a local small business. That can be as simple as a caption quoting their feelings about the fun time they had at the batting cages or how great the mac and cheese is from the café around the corner. Have a “ham” on your hands? Let them get in front of the camera and cheese it up a bit! (Just make sure to take the appropriate privacy precautions such as limiting the audience on that post to close friends and family.)

How are you encouraging your kids to Engage Small? We’d love to hear your (and their!) thoughts: tag 26Made and #engagesmall in your social media posts!

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