How can our ‘Love Letters to Small Businesses’ campaign help you?
By Holly Tucker, founder of Holly & Co
Did you know that the average customer tells six people about a positive customer experience whereas a dissatisfied customer will tell 9-15 people?1 Yet as you most likely know, kind words feel like sunshine to small business owners. They let us know what we’re doing right and encourage us to do more of it. They keep us going.
So Holly & Co has joined forces with Royal Mail this February, to shine a light on the many ways the nation’s independents go above and beyond. We want to celebrate everything from your unmatched creativity to the power of your personal service, and use our collective voices to share the love and recognition you deserve.
Get your free Love Letters to Small Businesses Kit
We’re asking customers and founders alike to write to a small business and tell them what you like about them. We’ve even created a free Love Letters to Small Businesses Kit to help you do it, which includes a letter template decorated with artwork commissioned from the brilliant independent illustrator Western Sketch, some thought starter ideas of what to write, assets of her lovely image to share on your social channels or to decorate your parcels with and more — so all you will need, is a stamp!
What if more people took a moment to send a quick card or letter?
In today’s digital world, a quick text or email is often the main way we communicate. In fact, it’s estimated that over a billion WhatsApp messages are sent every single day2! Yet I can’t imagine anyone’s heart not being gloriously lifted after receiving a card or note filled with kind words through the post. It’s part of the reason I send so many myself, especially to fellow founders. With one in three reported to have feared closure by the end of 20243 and the last few years being an especially tough time, sending a little letter of love can do far more than we realise.
The positive impact a card or letter can have
If sales are low, we’ve been working all hours or the daily challenges of running a small business weigh heavily on our shoulders, hearing something positive can feel life changing. It lifts us up, restores our faith and gives us the energy to keep doing what we love. Plus, if a message like that happens to arrive through the post, it can mean even more in some ways as it’s so unexpected (and makes a welcome change from picking up bills from the doormat!).
It doesn’t need to be an essay; a few kind words will go a long way
We’re not all born wordsmiths (in fact, I’m actually dyslexic so putting pen to paper doesn’t always come easily for me). But a few words about someone’s service, products or brand is enough. Of course, if you can find the right card, it often says it all for you anyway (and I know I’m biased but I do think creative small businesses make fantastic ones!).
Or you can use the letter template that’s provided free in our Love Letters to Small Businesses Kit. And if you’re lucky enough to receive something lovely yourself, please post it on Instagram with #LoveLettersToSmallBusinesses. Either way, thank you for helping to spread light to this community who I truly believe are the backbone of the UK. I dearly hope you receive some positive post yourself, too.
Source:
1. Helpscore customer service stats
2. Backlinko stats on WhatsApp users
3. Novuna small business report 2024