Hey there, Hardin County! Issue 3 of Elizabethtown Lifestyle Magazine is at print! We couldn’t be more excited. It’s been radio silence over here for the past week; I’ve been on design deadline and have taken some time to reflect on everything that is happening right now. I genuinely believe that small businesses are the lifeblood of our community. While certain things may seem insignificant, every little bit helps in keeping the proverbial lights on at your favorite local businesses. Today marks the start of our new campaign #LightsOnEtown — Helping Hardin County small businesses keep their lights on! In the coming days we will be sharing more, but here are a few tips for actions you can take now:
Follow Local Businesses On Social Media
Totally FREE and a huge help: Go follow some of your favorite accounts now. Need some inspiration on businesses to follow? Our website has social links for all of our advertisers under the Featured Businesses tab. It’s easy to click through and hit LIKE or FOLLOW. While you're at it, if you're on Instagram, follow our favorite local bloggers Type A Style, Living Etown and Fontaine Farmhouse. Did you know that you can follow hashtags? You can. Follow the hashtag #LightsOnEtown to see what everyone shares whether they're small businesses letting you know what they're offering right now OR other locals showing off how they're supporting small businesses.
Share Items You Have Purchase Locally On Social Media
Fancy yourself an influencer? Okay, maybe not, but you can still share. Seeing positive posts on social media cheers us up and may push traffic to those small businesses. Plus, I want to see cool stuff. When you share, be sure to use the hashtag #LightsOnETown so we can see your posts.
Shop Online Locally
Amazon may be the easiest place to order from, and I’m guilty of it too, but whenever it comes to things that can be purchased locally, such as clothes, shoes, furniture or gifts, choose to online shop with a local business. Some local faves have online stores including FINE House & Garden, Swanky Shoppe, That Cute Little Shop, Denizen, Mud Honey's and Lady Lu's. Many businesses that don’t have online stores yet are still about to sell you items thanks to social media. You can always pick up, but many offer shipping and delivery. If you do opt to pick up, pop your trunk, and they can set the item inside while keeping a safe social distance. You can call and pay over the phone, or they can send you an invoice.
Don’t know what you might like? Follow Amanda Burris, Type A Style, to see her top picks for local buys every day.
Gift Cards for Services
Purchasing gift cards from small businesses such as hair salons, spas, barbershops, or photographers can support those small businesses now. Due to social distancing, those businesses are considered “non-essential,” and they are not allowed to accept clients currently, which is hurting many of their companies. While getting your haircut may be a luxury, it’s something that you’re definitely going to use in the future, so buying a gift card now can help hold small businesses over until everything is up and running again.
Send Flowers or A Plant
Weddings may be canceled, but flower shops and plant stores in the area such as Denizen and Elizabethtown Florist are still up and running with no contact delivery. For a friend’s birthday, why not send flowers or a plant instead of a gift? Brightening someone’s home when they’re on quarantine is sure to be a win.
Get Your Car Fixed
Need an oil change? Maybe your windows aren’t rolling down as they should? Could your car use a detail? The car dealerships in our community give back so much, and due to the governor’s orders, they have had to close their sales floors, but the service departments are open. If there’s something you need to have done to your car, consider choosing a business that gives back to the community. Many dealership service departments are offering door-to-door service; you don’t have to wait in a waiting room.
Home Improvements & Landscaping
Getting your gutters cleaned or having your planter boxes redone because you’re home anyway. And a deck could make your self quarantine a little more magical. These businesses are open and willing to work. I won’t suggest bringing anyone in your home, but outdoor work is fine. Don’t supervise, that’s annoying, but if you must, keep a safe social distance of 6+ feet.
Order Take-Out
This is an iffy one, and I was on the fence about listing it because there is no way to pick up food without coming in close contact with whoever is at the window or bringing it out to your car. That said, err on the side of caution, but if you’re eating out, be sure to choose locally-owned establishments!
Have A Glass of Wine
Stressed much? Many of us have never fathomed the current nightmare world we’ve found ourselves in. Whether you’re homeschooling your children, navigating the new normal of working from home, or even more stressful having to report to work every day with fears of being contaminated, a stiff drink or glass of wine may be just what you need. Many of our liquor stores are locally owned AND have drive-throughs. Similar to take out (other than that it is easy to Lysol a bottle and wash your hands), you will come in close contact with whoever is at the window, but
Leave A Positive Review
Totally free and a huge help, head on over to Google and start leaving reviews for all of the business as you love. Leaving reviews helps businesses by boosting their SEO and their morale. Kind words go a long way during troubling times.
If you tuned in to Governor Andy Beshear’s Facebook Live yesterday afternoon, staying home and staying healthy is what you can do for our state right now. Reduce your contacts by 75% or more, if at all possible. Do more (or less in this case). Do not hang out at the bank or grocery store: Get in, get what you need for the week and get out (not more as hoarding is rude and not so little that you will have to return before the week is up). Coronavirus is, for many people, a matter of life and death. Commit to doing the right thing and helping each other. While staying home doesn’t help small businesses directly, the sooner we make it through this, the sooner we can get back to business as usual. In addition, unless you are very sick, or you are going to the hospital for something that is life and death, avoid hospitals and doctor’s offices (please, PLEASE, my husband is a doctor). I quote, “Kentuckians should not be traveling right now.” Cancel your spring break trip, don’t spend that money out of state and bring the virus back here. The next three weeks are critical in flattening the curve.
Thank you so much for tuning in. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more updates. As always, we are so grateful to have you here at Elizabethtown Lifestyle! Stay tuned for more posts on local businesses and events.
Best,