Jennifer Acree, founder and CEO of JSA+Partners, a strategic comms firm working with consumer tech, digital media and gaming companies.
When disaster strikes, small businesses often face an uphill battle to recover due to the lack of financial safety nets or built-in brand recognition like their corporate counterparts. However, crisis moments don’t always have to be setbacks. By leveraging public relations strategically, businesses of any size can rebuild stronger and more connected with their communities.
Take a recent example: the Los Angeles fires, which are deeply personal to me being the founder of a communications firm based in LA. In the aftermath, a group of communications professionals, including our team, formed a coalition to help small businesses at no cost to them. Through the work, we’ve seen firsthand how PR has helped impacted businesses share their stories, rally customer support and rebuild in a way that positions them for long-term success.
Despite this potential, I’ve found many small-business owners still believe PR is unattainable for them. Let’s address this misconception.
Busting The Myth: Why PR Isn’t Just For Big Businesses
Many small business owners assume that PR is out of reach. They feel it’s too expensive, too complicated or simply not necessary for their growth. The reality? A well-placed news story or social media campaign can have an outsized impact on a small business compared to a corporate giant.
In difficult times, communities tend to rally around stories of resilience—not as PR stunts but as genuine moments of perseverance that inspire action. The key is to ensure businesses aren’t creating these moments for publicity; they’re doing the work first, and PR becomes a tool to amplify their impact and channel community support.
Take, for example, LA-based Flour Pizzeria & Cafe and fitness studio BoxUnion, two businesses our coalition worked with. After losing their homes in the fires, both owners channeled their hardships into meaningful action. The pizzeria reopened in Brentwood and offered free pizza to first responders and locals who had lost their homes, while BoxUnion hosted donation-based boxing classes to help fire victims find strength through movement. Their stories resonated with the community and secured coverage from multiple outlets, which amplified their efforts and helped drive support to their businesses.
PR can also help small businesses compete with entities twice their size. For instead, our coalition also worked with This Girl Walks Into A Bar, a boutique beverage mixer company that shut down part of its operations due to the LA fires. The company was able to secure a spot in an Oscars gifting lounge, which turned their setback into a highly visible opportunity that put them in front of valuable consumers alongside a slew of established big-box brands. As a result, they secured an in-studio segment on a local news station, a press release and social media hits to help the company bounce back from the crisis.
By sharing their stories, these businesses not only inspired others to contribute but also reinforced the idea that resilience isn’t just about rebuilding; it’s about lifting others up in the process.
Telling Your Story
So where should a small business even start following a crisis, especially if it doesn’t have access to a PR team? Here are three things to keep in mind:
Remember that community is everything.
Your biggest advocates are the people around you—customers, neighbors and local businesses who want to see you succeed. Don’t be afraid to ask for support. In times of crisis, I’ve found people are eager to rally behind businesses they care about, but they need to know how to help.
Leverage social media.
Don’t wait for the news to tell your story. Use social media to control your narrative. Share updates, engage your audience and use visuals like photos and videos to make your story resonate. Also, lean on the community’s support to share your story on their own channels to help spread the word.
Lean into the moment.
Make events media-friendly with compelling visuals and community engagement. Be flexible. Breaking news can bump coverage, so have a B-roll and photos ready to keep the momentum going if broadcasters can’t get to you on-site.
Rebuilding after a crisis isn’t just about survival. It’s about finding new ways to connect, adapt and grow. Consumers today want to support brands that reflect their values, and sharing your resilience isn’t just about PR; it’s about giving your community a reason to show up for you.
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