Discover British Independent Shops Online
Do you love to choose independent shops?
Like to know more? All of the information is below or if you have a question my contact details are at the bottom.
If you would love to take part in the challenge (whether by posting every day or just as much as you can), then join the Facebook Group ‘Love Our Shops Group‘, which I have setup for this challenge and contains all the resources you need.
Instagram Challenge #loveourshopsmonth.
They are such an important part of the UK and wonderful to shop with. I am on a journey to get everyone shopping with them more, every day, for all of their shopping needs.
Choosing to shop independent is fantastic for so many reasons. The main one being, they are so much better than the big boys.
So lets shout about why they are the best. Why shopping with them is brilliant for everyone and what is it about independent shops, that makes them stand out.
This is why I have created the Instagram Challenge; #loveourshopsmonth
Do you fancy joining me for this challenge?
Instagram Challenge #loveourshopsmonth – The Prompts
Sharing independent online shops; K9 Active, Cloudberry Living and Beyond Measure.
Beginning 17th June 2019 and running for one month until 17th July (week days only).
An Instagram Challenge for sharing how amazing independent shops are (both online and on the high street).
I believe independent shops are much better than the big marketplaces and corporate shops (the big boys).
I believe shoppers should automatically choose independent shops because they are the best place to shop.
Together we can spread this message and tell everyone why independent shops are the number one choice.
23 prompts, for 23 days of Instagram posts (I have excluded the weekends). All based around the theme of why choosing to shop independent is such a brilliant thing to do. Create a post based on the prompt, then post it on Instagram (and other social channels too if you wish).
Share your passion, creativity, expertise, and have fun!!
Sharing independent online shops Babipur, Dave Mellor Cycles and Little Soap Company.
I created this for independent online shops and independent shops on the high street. No matter what you sell. Whether it is LED light bulbs, bikes, baby products, beauty products, food, gifts, dance gear, handmade or manufactured. This is for every single independent shop.
I created it for you if you just love independent shops and want to shout about them. Or if you run a small business that supports independent online shops, why not join in too.
Lets all share the love for our shops. #loveourshopsmonth
#loveourshopsmonth begins 17th June 2019 and runs for 23 days ending 17th July 2019. I have excluded weekends, just to give us a bit of a break.
I have given you 23 prompts (these can be found in the Facebook group created for this challenge – Love Our Shops Group). The number of the prompt relates to the date on which that prompt theme will run. Do them all or do just some. Remove the pressure and decide to do just the ones you really like. Or give yourself the full challenge and commit to doing every prompt. Completely up to you.
For those who have not been in a challenge before and not sure what to do, it is really easy.
Look at the prompt for the day and decide how that relates to you and your shop. Create an Instagram post around it, then post ensuring you include #loveourshopsmonth.
Follow #loveourshopsmonth and be social with those doing the challenge.
Ensure you follow me, Barbara, the creator of this challenge @loveourshopsuk and tag me in the posts, so you are included in the regram competition/shop of the day.
Join the Facebook Group created for this challenge – Love Our Shops Group.
To keep #loveourshopsmonth special, only use it for this challenge.
Have fun!
Sharing independent online shops choc on choc, Two Little Boys and 47 Things.
I will help and support you throughout this challenge. I will do this a number of ways.
Here on this blog, where all the information and details are held. I will be updating it as I go along. So bookmark it and keep checking back.
In the Facebook group Love Our Shops, I will be sharing all the information, and providing support throughout the challenge (and beyond). Here we can also share our experience, get to know each other and ask questions.
On my Instagram feed and in my stories, where I will be participating in the challenge, sharing my favourite #loveourshopsmonth posts and generally mentioning those who are getting involved.
Sharing a weekly blog post roundup of all the shops of the day.
Publishing a blog post for who is joining in the challenge.
We are all on this journey together; to get more people choosing to shop independent for all of their shopping needs.
So let’s build a lovely, supportive community. Get to know each other, help, support, collaborate, share and show our passion for what we do together. Lets all show the world why we love our shops and why they should too.
So excited for what we can achieve!
Sharing independent online shops; Hoobynoo, Twinkle & Me, Cordelia’s House of Treasures.
I am a half-way kind of person. I need to know a basic plan, so I can get it on my to do list, to ensure it gets done. But the detail I leave until the task needs doing (normally last minute!).
So, I will have the prompts on my desk ready, the checklist filled in with ideas of what I will share, a list of anything I need to think about or do in advance, and then the rest I will do on the day or maybe a day before.
You can do the half-way version like me. Or you can plan it all and create lots of the posts ready. Or you can just wing it every day and do what you can. Whichever way is fine. Just enjoy the challenge.
Resources
All the resources you need are in the Facebook group Love Our Shops. This includes the prompt sheet, checklist and images for sharing.
I am Barbara and I run Love Our Shops UK, a shopping directory sharing the best independent online shops in the UK.
I ran an independent online shops for 10 years, which I absolutely loved and over the years sent out tens of thousands of wonderful orders. I decided to close it when Love Our Shops UK became far more than an idea and took over my brain!!
I love independent shops and one Christmas decided to do all my Christmas shopping (food, gifts, decs, the lot) via independent shops, both online and on the high street. The high street part was easy, but when I turned to online, it proved impossible as I could not find them. My light bulb moment and Love Our Shops UK was born.
The blog part of the website began first and recently I have started to slowly invite shops to be a member of the directory.
The name Love Our Shops came to me easily, as independent shops are hands down the best place to shop for so many reasons. We should all love them and choose to shop with them every day.
Prior to all of this, I was a Finance Director and spent many years working in the exciting commercial world of Gillette. It was a great place to gain experience in the world of business. I was never a black and white accountant. I was always getting involved in the creative side, rolling out new projects, supporting the marketeers.
I loved it but always knew I would run my own business one day. So here I am.
…and finally
Independent shops are the best places to shop. I am so excited to be running this challenge, so we can all show our love for them.
Let’s help everyone choose to shop independent every day, because they realise how amazing they are.
Any questions feel free to email me, message me, call me or join the Facebook group and post your question in there, others may be wondering the same thing.
Best Wishes and look forward to seeing you in the challenge.
Barbara
Instagram Challenge #loveourshopsmonth. .