4 Ways to Tell if a Small Business is Legitimate
Are you interested in shopping small online, but not entirely sure how to tell if the business is legitimate? You want to be confident that a small business is going to deliver on the promises they make. In honor of National Small Business week, Here are 4 things you can look for when deciding what small businesses you can trust online.
1. Do a search on multiple social media platforms, such as Instagram or TikTok, and see if the small business in question has a presence there. You can tell a lot about a small business based on how often and how recent they have posted on social media, as well as by how many followers interact with the business. Updated posts within the last month, comments from their followers, as well as responses to the comments from the small business are all green flags when vetting a small business through social media.
2. Look for terms and conditions, an about page, and shipping and return policies listed on the website. All legitimate small businesses should have these 4 things linked on their website. Most commonly links to these pages can be found at the bottom of the homepage. Green flags include a generous return policy, quick shipping estimates (unless its a pre-oder!), and a little bit of background about the small business itself.
3. Small businesses should ALWAYS have multiple ways to contact them! Look for a listed email address, contact forms, and open social media DMs to be sure there is a way to contact the brand should you have any questions or concerns about your purchase.
4. You didn’t think we’d make it this far without mentioning smHauler LLC did you?! smHauler.com helps connect shoppers with small business owners they may not have otherwise ever come across. Simply find what you love and follow the link to complete your checkout! smHauler LLC has it’s own verification program that small businesses can opt in to. This program allows the CEO of smHauler LLC to review a product of the small business owner’s choice to verify that the product is as described on their website. smHauler LLC currently has 20 verified small business owners listed with us and the list is always growing! smHauler LLC will also take feedback from shoppers to ensure every small business listed upholds the promises they make. Click here to shop smHauler’s collection of over 700 small businesses!
These 4 things to look out for when checking to see if a small business is legitimate will come in handy the next time you’re shopping online! Remember, when you support a small business you are supporting someone’s dream, not a billionaire’s trip to space!
If (or should I say when?) you make a purchase from any small business listed with smHauler LLC we’d love to see your haul! Post a pic of what you got with #HaulSmall and tag @smHauler on any social media platform so we can feature you in our Haul of Fame!
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