There is also the idea to buy gift certificates from local businesses to use at a later date.

In my opinion, there are pros and cons about this idea. If too many gifts certificates are purchased and then everyone with all these gift certs rush out to use them in the first week or month of the business reopening, then the business will not be getting any income or very little during that time. If you plan to buy gift certs, then wait at least a month and perhaps use them as 50% of your bill and only use them once a month.

Otherwise, I think this is another way to help them.

Steve has some very good ideas. It would also be helpful to purchase gift certificates from various small businesses and restaurants. Purchasing $50 gift certificates for restaurants and giving them to friends will usually result in a larger bill for a meal with friends than $50 - which will add a little more to the restaurant's cash flow. An enhanced tip will also be helpful for the servers. Give the gift certificates to people who may not know the restaurant or other small business very well. They may become valued new customers. Also, if you cancel one of your regular activities or appointments such as a haircut, massage, personal trainer, etc., send them the money that you would have spent had you not cancelled. Most people have budgeted for such expenses and can easily afford them. So, even if your hair grows a little long, the hair cutters' receipts will not be so short.

He's right of course that if the small businesses close, they'll be replaced by corporate offices and chain restaurants. That's why it's critical to support small businesses unless, of course, you and the officials you support want more offices and chains.