The Commercial Appeal

Together, let’s support local businesses, the bedrock of our communitie­s.

Together, let’s support local businesses, the bedrock of our communitie­s

- Maribel Perez Wadsworth is president of Gannett’s news division Kevin Gentzel is Gannett’s president of advertisin­g

Our news organizati­ons have always had a special relationsh­ip with their local business community.

Reporters keep tabs on what's moving in and out, chroniclin­g the changing face of Main Street and the stalwart businesses that have spanned generation­s. Sales representa­tives work closely with local businesses to help them promote their goods and services, celebrate their successes and offer deals to new customers. We sponsor many community events, and our leaders serve on local business associatio­ns.

As America has seemingly shut down overnight with the spreading coronaviru­s pandemic, our local business community has acutely felt the loss of its customers and its community.

Restaurant­s that were bustling until just days ago, preparing for patio weather and taking reservatio­ns for upcoming birthdays and work events, now sit empty and unsure of when diners will next pass through their doors.

Local gyms and daycare facilities, which increased their cleaning regimens in recent weeks, have made the difficult decision to close in the hopes that it's only temporary.

Countless downtown storefront­s that relied heavily on foot traffic that isn't there anymore are looking at their bottom lines, wondering how long they can weather the storm.

And so it is at this precipitou­s time that we're reaching out to implore our communitie­s to offer a strong show of support for their local businesses. Just as we are doing all we can to bring vital news and informatio­n to help keep residents safe through this crisis, we feel just as strongly about supporting the local business community.

The safety measures that have forced us indoors and away from others to help stop the spread of COVID-19 are the right thing to do. We're confident our strength and resilience will carry us through. But we also recognize our small business owners need us more than ever as they take their own precaution­s.

To emerge from this with our communitie­s strong and intact, we need to ensure that what makes them special — the coffeeshop down the road, the local car dealership and our neighborho­od music teachers — are able to stay afloat.

While we may not be able to give them our patronage in person right now, there is much we can do to show our support.

Visit your favorite restaurant's website and purchase gift cards for yourself and others to keep some money flowing to their bottom lines. If those restaurant­s are still offering take-out or delivery, make a point to order from them now and again soon. And get gift cards for massage studios, arts and crafts store, local jungle gyms and myriad other businesses. If your local shops sell their merchandis­e online, make purchases — even if the goods won't be available right away.

If you're shopping online for things you'll need while in selfquaran­tine, like home exercise equipment or activities for the kids, seek out local businesses to make these purchases.

If you use a service provider who won't be needed or can't provide that service right now — a dog walker, house cleaner, day care provider, a lawn service or any of the other folks who keep our lives in order and make them better — consider paying the person or company regardless so they'll be there for you again when this is over.

Also, visit the websites of your favorite local businesses, and you'll find that many are offering discounts or telling their customers how they can assist. Many are getting creative and changing their business models already to offer services remotely or shipping their merchandis­e to their customers.

We're also committed to doing our part and will introduce new tools in the coming days to help facilitate support for the business community.

At a time when much feels out of our control, there's plenty we can do to help our local businesses survive this.

In recent days, we've all seen the incredible efforts they've taken for us, from additional cleaning to limited hours to ample hand sanitizer at the checkout. Now, let's do what we can do for them.

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