It Costs $0 to be a Supportive Friend
5 ways you can support your friends’ business without spending a dime.
Everybody loves a good deal. A super special, a black Friday promotion, a coupon code to FINALLY buy the expensive eye cream at Sephora that you just couldn’t justify without that 10% off coupon.
So what about all of your friends who are busting it 8 days a week, 25 hours a day, to ensure that the business they set up with their own blood, sweat and tears, grows and survives? Sure, you might not need the product that they’re selling, or the service that they are promoting, but there are other ways, FREE ways, that you can show some support and help your own network and community promote success. Imagine if we all had each other’s backs, supported each other’s passions and hyped each other up? I guarantee that your actions will be very well received, and very likely reciprocated when your turn comes around, whatever that may look like.
I’m a huge advocate for support. Because I work hard for everything that I have, and I appreciate that a lot of other people in my network are doing the same with their own passion projects. I also know what it’s like to be the ugly duckling. I know how it feels to tell someone what you do and for their immediate response to be along the lines of “I think Instagram is so stupid, all everyone does is post shallow, narcissistic photoshopped pictures of themselves.” Ouch, seriously. If only they knew what I work on every single day of my life.
So I put together a list of actions that you can do to support your friends, without even spending any of your hard earned money. Put them to the test, and watch them be reciprocated!
Follow and engage with them on social media. This may seem obvious to you, but you’re probably not even doing it. We all have Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn profiles and more! And if you’re a business owner, you DEFINITELY have some of these already, or you’re late to the game.
You have no idea how helpful this is. The more traction and engagement your social media profiles get, the more likely you are to be seen, discovered, contacted, etc. (HELLO algorithm.) Even if you just get one extra prospect to contact you that month, you’re still winning. It’s still progress.
Write a glowing review. About who they are or what they do or why they are so amazing. It can be short and sweet, or longer if you’re feeling generous. But most of us have a website or a Facebook page that welcomes these any day, every day, and twice on Sunday.
Share their work. The more you pass it around, the more exposure it gets. Need I say more?
Be their walking advocate. Word of mouth still goes a long way in this age of social media networking. An “in person” review at a Saturday night dinner, at the community daycare or after your Monday spin class still remains your #1 bet to grow your business further.(In non-COVID times, obviously.)
Talk about your friends and the awesome things they are doing. Ask them for business cards and pass them around. Be happy and excited for their growth and success: there is SO much room for everyone to have a share of it.
Ask them more about what they do. Most business owners are incredibly passionate about what they do and if they’re not, well that should be their #1 red flag (but we can discuss that another time.) If you have questions about what your friends do, or you don’t quite understand what they’re doing, ask them! I guarantee that your entrepreneur friends will be thrilled to answer your questions and give you some clarity.
Same goes for people that you look up to that you might not even know personally. They will usually be happy to engage with you and answer your questions. Slide into their DMs, attend their events, leave a comment. The possibilities are endless.