3 Ways You Can Help Save Your Favorite Small Business One in four small businesses could fold in the next six months. Individuals can help – at little personal cost.

Coronavirus-related lockdowns laid waste to small businesses and local economies in 2020. Layoffs at small businesses jumped more than 1,000 percent during the first wave of lockdowns in March and April, and by the fall, more than 100,000 small businesses had permanently closed.

Many small business owners worry that economic recovery will be excruciatingly slow this year. Although President Biden hopes to vaccinate 300 million Americans by the fall, new research indicates that strict social distancing measures must continue through July to effectively limit new infections. Government initiatives, such as the CARES Act and President Biden's new relief bill, have provided some relief, but one-in-four small businesses could still fold in the next six months.

At little personal cost, individuals can help small businesses stay afloat as we wait for the economy to fully reopen. Three simple, targeted shifts in spending can help businesses shore up their cashflow and stem the tide of lost revenue.