From restaurants to books, small businesses rely on word of mouth and reviews. Make a habit of leaving a quick review after eating or shopping at a locally-owned business, or review your favorite find each week. Reviews don’t just persuade customers, they also unlock rank. Many systems require a set number of reviews before doing things like recommending matches. (This helps avoid review-stuffing, too.)
Before the internet, bookstores were the commons for information and community. Today, like all local brick-and-mortar, they’re nearly extinct. We can’t fight oligarchs without addressing monopoly, so one of the ways we resist is through supporting local business. Buy your books locally when you can. Or buy from Bookshop.org, which shares a portion of every sale with small local bookstores. You can even set your favorite as your recipient!
Small Bookstores Find Out How »
Shift away from the capitalist mindset and build community by joining the local gifting economy! The holiday shopping season is a particularly good time to shift items you don’t need to homes that do need them. And get ready for post-holiday regifting! One person’s singing bass is another person’s ironic art project component!
Join a BuyNothing Group Find Out How »
