Here’s how Amazon makes it easy to support small businesses

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It pays to give more of your money to smaller businesses.

Main points

• Shopping on Amazon is a convenient way to get the products you need.
• There are several ways Amazon makes it possible to identify small businesses and buy the products they have for sale.

Shopping at big box stores, whether for everyday items or holiday gifts, will often result in a lower credit card tab than shopping at a local business. But it’s still worth giving at least some of your money to small businesses.

For one thing, small businesses tend to do big things for their respective communities. They often create jobs and partner with other businesses to keep neighborhoods thriving.

Also, the quality you get with a small business purchase may exceed what you would get if you bought something at a large retailer. And so, while you may spend more, the items you buy can last much longer.

Now you might like the idea of ​​supporting small businesses — but what if there aren’t many in your area? What if you live in a rural part of the country where there are no local shops? Or what if you live in a suburban area that doesn’t have a city center?

The good news is that you can still support small businesses without physically stepping into a store. All you need to do is focus on small businesses when shopping on Amazon.

An easy way to support local businesses

Many people like shopping on Amazon because you can find a wide range of products without having to jump to different stores. Plus, it’s convenient to click a button and have items delivered to your door.

The good news is that Amazon actually makes it pretty easy to buy products from small businesses. First of all, during your general shopping, you may come across the small business icon that Amazon attaches to various listings. The icon looks like a picture of a small shop. This is your first clue that you will be supporting a local institution.

But also, Amazon specifically allows you to search for items sold by small operations. You just have to know how to find them.

For this purpose, all you have to do is go to Amazon’s homepage and click on the “Programs and Features” section. If you scroll down from there, you’ll have the option to choose items like Subscribe & Save, Whole Foods Market, and more.

One of the options you’ll see in that menu is Small and Medium Businesses. This will bring you to a new page where you can search for different products, only your choices will be limited to those related to small and medium businesses only.

So let’s say you’re looking to buy a new jacket for your little one. Once you’ve landed on Amazon’s small and medium business search page, you’ll simply type “baby jacket” into the search bar and see what happens. It’s that simple.

Help small businesses run

Small businesses are said to be the backbone of our economy. So it is in everyone’s best interest to give them financial support. And now, you can do it during your everyday Amazon shopping, so it really doesn’t get any easier than that.