Holiday shopping is wrapping up in the next week or so, but many others are still looking for last minute gifts. Downtown Staunton has wonderful shops and restaurants, but also wonderful service-based businesses. There are many ways to support these folks, as they are a vital part of what makes our downtown so great.
- Look Local First
Do you need new tires for the winter? How about a haircut? We have several great service-based businesses of all kinds throughout the district. Many of them are independent shops, meaning your dollars go to supporting a local businesses owner and their family. Before you go to a national chain or large establishment, check out your local options first. Downtown is home to a wide variety of service-based businesses, including salons, spas, auto body shops, lawyers, financial planners, graphic design and so many others. Here is a list of both professional and other services located throughout Downtown Staunton. - Share Your Experiences
One of the top ways small service-based businesses market is through word of mouth. Did you have a great experience with an estate planning lawyer in Downtown Staunton? Maybe you got pampered by one of Staunton’s many spas and loved it. If that is the case, great! Tell all your friends to check them out too. Want to be even more supportive? Make sure to leave them a review. These help show potential customers that the business provides good service and helps build trust within the community. Most businesses are set up to receive reviews through Google. Next time you have a stellar experience, take 5 minutes to tell others about it! - Gift Cards
No surprise here – purchasing gift cards helps service-based businesses tremendously during the holidays. This is especially important this year, as we are entering into an uncertain winter because of the Covid pandemic. Most, if not all, service-based businesses offer gift cards that allow you to either purchase a service for the future, or buy credit with the business to use at a later time. For example, Mill Street Body and Day Spa offer gift cards right on their website. You don’t even have to leave the couch to pay for your next massage! Some lawyers and other professional services also offer gift cards or vouchers so that you can put money away now for services that you might need later. If you are unsure if a small business offers this, just call them!
With Hanukkah underway and only a few days left until Christmas, we are hoping the Staunton community and beyond continue to show up for our small businesses. We at the SDDA have been so grateful to see the outpouring of support this community has, and we know our businesses are grateful!
