Support Local Businesses

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Immigrant-owned businesses are the backbone of our communities. When they’re targeted for harassment, we stand with them. When they thrive, we all thrive.

Why Business Support Matters

Economic solidarity: Your dollars directly support families in our community
Visible presence: A busy business is a protected business
Community strength: Thriving businesses create thriving neighborhoods
Resistance: Choosing where to spend is a form of mutual aid

Ways to Support

🛒 Shop & Patronize

The simplest and most powerful action: spend money at immigrant-owned businesses.

Make them your regular stops for groceries, restaurants, services
Bring friends and family
Leave positive reviews online

👥 Presence & Witness

If a business is being harassed:

Show up: A crowd of supporters deters harassment
Witness: Document incidents (with consent)
De-escalate: Stay calm, don’t engage with harassers
Report: Let the Business Allies segment know

📣 Amplify

Share their business on social media
Recommend them to friends
Write positive reviews on Google, Yelp
Feature them in community newsletters

🤝 Organize Buy-In Days

Coordinate community-wide days to support specific businesses:

Pick a day and a business
Spread the word through community networks
Show up together

Collecting Business Information

If your cell wants to maintain a list of businesses that need support, create your own secure intake form rather than using a public or permanent system.

Recommended: Create a Form with CryptPad

CryptPad is a zero-knowledge encrypted collaboration platform that’s ideal for collecting sensitive information like business details.

Why CryptPad:

✓ Zero-knowledge encryption (even CryptPad can’t read your data)
✓ No account required to create forms
✓ Can set forms to self-destruct after a time period
✓ Responses are encrypted and only accessible to form creator
✓ Can be shared via link with your community

How to create a business intake form:

Go to CryptPad.fr (or your preferred CryptPad instance)
Click “Form” to create a new form
Add fields to collect the information you need (see suggested fields below)
Enable “Self-destructing pad” if you want the form to auto-delete after a set time
Share the form link only through trusted channels (Signal groups, in-person)
Review responses regularly and transfer to your local records
Delete the form when no longer needed

Suggested fields for your form:

Business name
Type of business (restaurant, grocery, retail, service, etc.)
Neighborhood/area
Current situation (general support, experiencing harassment, struggling economically, new business)
Contact name
Preferred contact method (Signal, phone, in-person)
Contact information
Additional notes

Alternative: Direct Outreach

Instead of a form, Business Allies can:

Visit businesses in person to introduce the cell
Collect information through Signal conversations
Build relationships through regular patronage
Let business owners reach out when they need support

This approach:

Creates no permanent digital record
Builds trust through personal connection
Allows business owners to control what information they share
Reduces risk of information exposure

For Business Allies

If you’re part of a Business Allies segment, here’s how to engage:

Regular Activities

Maintain a list of supported businesses (locally, not published)
Coordinate regular patronage rotations
Check in with business owners periodically

Response to Incidents

Mobilize presence quickly when harassment occurs
Document with consent
Connect owners with legal observers if rights are violated
Provide emotional support — harassment is traumatic

De-escalation Guidelines

Stay calm and non-confrontational
Don’t engage directly with harassers
Focus on supporting the business owner and staff
Call for additional support if situation escalates
Know when to involve authorities (owner’s decision)

Join the Business Allies Segment

Want to be part of supporting local businesses? Learn how to join a local cell and get involved with the Business Allies segment.