A lot of us creative types work as freelancers and private business owners. With festivals cancelling, and social distancing requiring us to not meet with clients or keep our shop doors open, the bills are piling up fast. This may be only temporary, but the short-term effects can be devastating. Some of you are already experiencing it.

Create Appalachia, which was founded on the idea of shared resources and cooperation to help lift us all, would like to help. We’re still figuring out how but passing along information is a small way we can start.

If you are able to work from home and are still getting a paycheck, please support your local artists and artisans for things you need.

• Do your Christmas shopping early, or choose a handmade gift for a birthday, Easter or a wedding from your favorite local artists’ existing inventory.
• Buy baked goods from a local artisan. This is a good time to try out some of the yummy stuff you’ve been seeing at the farmers market!
• Commission an artist for a pet portrait (send a picture), or to design your next Christmas Card.

Online resources.

There are several online ways to let people know you’re still trying to do business, find needed resources, and pass along information. Here are three that we know of.

• Johnson City – Distance Socially, Support Locally at https://www.facebook.com/groups/JCGoAllLocal/Use this page as a community resource to find local businesses who are offering delivery, curbside pickup, online gift card options and changes to hours of operation.

• The Appalachian Economic Aid Directory (A.H.E.A.D) at http://regionahead.com

Sponsored by the chambers of commerce in the Tri-Cities and by economic development groups, his directory was set up to list small businesses and to keep folks informed on how we can still support local, enjoy the outdoors, and lean on our neighbors during this time of uncertainty.

You can list your business and let people know if you are open and how they can continue to do business with you. Also, there are businesses and organizations that are offering help to small businesses listed here.

• Tri-Cities Incredible Towns at https://tricities.incredibletowns.com/

They can help you by assisting your business in getting the word out about your business’s products and services—and not just through this crisis.

With cash at a premium, consider trade.

Swap product or services in exchange for necessities. If you have an excess of something, even downtime, and there are things you need, post it online.

You are welcome to post on our Create Appalachia group site on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/createappalachia/