Holiday Gift Guide - Accion Opportunity Fund
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5 Ways You Can Back Small Businesses This Holiday Season

Small businesses remain the most trusted institutions by 65% of Americans – serving as the heartbeat of our local communities, providing employment for nearly half of U.S. workers, and making the American dream possible. Yet the entrepreneurs who are leading the way are also the most likely to lack access to the capital and professional skills they need to run their businesses.

This holiday season, join Accion Opportunity Fund in backing the small business warriors who make our neighborhoods unique and our economy strong. Whether you have gifts to buy, time to give, or year-end donations to make, we’ve curated five meaningful ways you and your loved ones can back small businesses and contribute to their success.

Small businesses are back. It’s time to back small businesses.
  • Shop from AOF-backed businesses on SOKONI : Browse more than 400 one-of-a-kind products while supporting budding entrepreneurs. SOKONI is an online shopping hub where FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab participants learn to step into the online sales world for the first time. When you shop through this SOKONI link, you’re not just buying products from a warehouse; you’re empowering AOF-backed entrepreneurs to grow their business and expand their impact.
  • Explore Local Small Businesses Directories : Just because you’re in a big city doesn’t mean you can’t shop small! Check out our Local Small Businesses Directories for major metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City. Not a city dweller? No problem! We’ve got a national online directory of small businesses with online shops, too.
  • Donate to Accion Opportunity Fund : Supporting small businesses goes beyond your purchasing power. Donate to Accion Opportunity Fund’s campaign and we will extend $5 in capital for every $1 contributed. Your gift helps AOF provide accessible capital and coaching to entrepreneurs who are excluded from traditional providers of these essential business-building resources. Your gifts go even further thanks to generous donors this holiday season — so act now to take advantage of this limited-time leverage!
  • Urge your city, state, or federal elected officials to back policies that support inclusive business growth, small business ecosystems, and economic justice. Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) offers free and easy virtual tools that you can use to let your elected officials know about the great work CDFIs do to create economic opportunity. Visit OFN’s Policy Action Center to find your elected officials, send an email message, post on social media, and spread the word among your personal networks.
  • Show Your Loyalty Online: In today’s digital age, your online presence can be a game-changer for small businesses. Leave positive reviews for your favorite local pizza place, nail salon, or corner coffee shop. Those 5-star reviews might not require much effort from you but can make a massive difference for small businesses with limited marketing budgets. While you’re at it, don’t forget to tag local businesses when you post about their locations, services, or products. In this era, social media interaction is the new “word of mouth.”

Make the conscious choice this holiday season to back small businesses. Together, we can change the current system in which Black, Hispanic, and low-to-moderate income entrepreneurs are perpetually tasked with achieving ‘more with less’ and instead create an environment where all small business owners are empowered to thrive.

Small businesses are back. Will YOU back small businesses?