I saw a vendors-wanted ad on Kijiji for a market where I could sell my books at and inquired. The email with the registration form came from a Gmail account with someone’s first name at the bottom. Although Gmail accounts aren’t dealbreakers for me, they are red flags, so I investigated further. The online reviews for this market organizer were horrendous. No matter where I looked, there were dozens of reviews warning others to not deal with this person. So I didn’t. But these negative reviews were legitimate (and further backed up by the business owner’s very defensive comments).

But all too often, negative reviews are written out of a desire to get back at a business. For international corporations, these individual reviews aren’t going to make a dint in the company’s bottom line. But for small businesses, ones who are lucky if they have over 100 followers on a single social media account, these reviews can really damage their reputation and affect their bottom line. That’s why I’m suggesting #positivesnowday

On days like today, where the weather outside is keeping you at home, take 15 minutes and leave an online review (or two!) for a small business whose services you appreciate. Tag is #positivesnowday. I live in the Region of Waterloo, which has roughly 500,000 people. Many will brave the snowstorm we’re getting today and drive to work. Others will be busy with dependents who need their care today. However, if only 1% left a positive review for a small business they love, that means an additional 5,000 reviews for small businesses.

Will you join me? #positivesnowday