These Innovative Companies Just Launched a Coalition to Combat COVID19 and Support Independent Businesses

The Brands for Better (aka BrandsxBetter) coalition of companies aims to give back during the coronavirus crisis and support small and independent businesses. Here’s a look at who is involved and what they are out to do.

Earlier today, I received an email from Rhone, a direct-to-consumer retailer that sells performance professional clothing for men. The apparel startup announced they were a founding member of the Brands for Better coalition, a collection of technology-powered direct-to-consumer brands looking to come together and make a difference during the COVID19 crisis.

For the past several weeks, I’ve been interviewing founders from companies including Black Lapel, Ratio Clothing and Unsimply Stitched about their experiences during these difficult times and have been inspired by a steady stream of positive messages from entrepreneurs that has been filtering through my inbox.

The Brands x Better coalition is another reason for optimism.  Here’s what they’re all about:

What is the Brands for Better Coalition? 

According to its website, Brands x Better is a collection of “like-minded brands” who “have united in an effort to give back to those affected by COVID-19, while also supporting conscious consumer spending and do our part to keep the economy functioning.”

The 10+ movement

All of the members of the coalition pledge to abide by the “10+ movement,” which commits companies to:

1. Donate 2% of sales or 10% of their profits to charity during the coronaviris crisis.
2. Deliver “additional value” to customers who support their brands.
3. Track and report contributions to COVID-19 relief.

Who is in the Brands for Better Coalition?

As of this writing, the Brands x Better Coalition website features companies including:

1. Wolf and Shepherd, one of my go-to options for super-comfortable dress shoes.
2. Rhone, which makes good looking performance dress shirts for men made from technical fabrics.
3. Faherty Brand (I adore the look of their sweaters);
4. Knot Standard, an impressive online and in-person custom suiting option for men;
5. Greats, a great option for leather sneakers for men;
6. M. Gemi, an interesting option for affordable luxury dress shoes;
7. Bodyguardz and Lander and Moxyo, a trio of brands founded by Kirk Feller under the umbrella of BGZ Brands.
8. Rockets of Awesome, which offers a collection of colorful clothing options for kids;
9. Boll and Branch
10. Clean Simple Eats
11. Cotopaxi
12. Dagne Dover
13. Enso Rings
14. Harrow Sports
15. Kopari Beauty
16. Owyn
17. Nomatic
18. Revo
19. Revtown
20. Rumpl
21. Summersalt
22. Super Coffee
23. The DTX Company
24. Tomboyx
25. Trovata

The brands are variously supporting charities including City Harvest, Direct Relief, and Relief Haven, as well as, in some cases, providing discount codes and coupons.

#Stayathome #Supportsmallbusiness

This is a trying time for a lot of people, including small and independent businesses.

If you are in a position financially to support small and independent businesses, the brands listed above are great places to start.

The United States Postal Service, Amazon, UPS, and FedEx are still delivering packages, and e-commerce is the only lifeline to consumers with many stores closed.

As Alex Hendeles, Founder of one of my favorite brands of colorful socks Unsimply Stitched said to me,

We are big believers that businesses of all sizes need to support one another during this challenging time. Together, we can weather the crisis and get back moving faster once we are able to get back to our normal lives…The good deeds we do now won’t be forgotten in the near future.

Here are additional ideas to #supportsmallbusiness while you #stayathome:

1. business casual made from technical fabrics to get comfortable for your videoconferences;
2. innovative fashion brands who are helping men dress well,
3. modern apparel brands for women,
4. leather sneakers to wear while you Work from Home,
5. cool alternatives to J. Crew), and
6. affordable, independent online options for eyeglasses.
7. Small businesses and startups on Amazon, and Amazon’s Launchpad program, which highlights cool products from innovative brands.

Photo credit: by Jon Tyson via Unsplash.