The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 30

April 14, 2021 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 4 How to support small businesses Since the start of COVID-19, there has been an explosion of small businesses across all social media platforms, making it extremely hard for online shoppers to put down their credit cards. I do not know about you, but during quarantine, my addiction to online shopping went through the roof and has remained the same since. Something about cute clothes and jewelry for a cheap price draws me in, and I can not resist no matter how hard I try. My bank account may be crying, but to me, it is worth it. I was never one for online shopping, but everything is so simple now. You can’t open a single app without a link to a page or a website that sells things. Social media gives accounts the ability to randomly pop up just because of past posts you have liked or interacted with -- it is basically fate at that point. When I think of small businesses, I think of businesses that are reachable online, but small businesses can be anywhere and sell anything. There are so many ways in which you can support small businesses, whether they are online or in person. Share, share, share The easiest way to support is to share information, which is easy to do if you have social media or have the ability to communicate. Many people tend to buy something and post it on their story, tagging the business they bought from. This leads to exposure, and in order for small businesses to be successful, they need all the positive exposure they can get. Write reviews and donate Writing reviews and commenting can help tremendously as well as telling a family member or a friend. Some small businesses give you the option to donate, and there are many organizations that take donations for the purpose of helping small businesses. The National Urban League takes donations that directly Kiley Moore Contributing Writer Features Gill Out: Puffles NSU is a unique and lively campus, but that doesn’t mean that Sharks can’t band together and take an afternoon to explore the South Florida area — even if that just means finding a quaint place to study. If you’re like me, you’re always on the search for delicious boba tea. Whether they’re milk-based or tea-based, ever since I tried it, I’ve been a big boba buff. While I’ve discovered a great boba seller by where I live -- Arcade Odyssey nearing Zoo Miami, in case anyone is interested in making the trip -- I was on the search for finding a good boba place near NSU. Luckily, I found just what I was looking for. Puffles, located right next to the Margaritaville Resort on Hollywood Beach, may not be within walking distance from campus, but it is definitely worth the drive for some delicious boba tea. Puffles is a boba tea bar that specializes in Hong Kong egg waffles, otherwise simply known as bubble waffles. Not only are the items at Puffles tasty, but they’re aesthetically pleasing, too. Here, you have the option of completely customizing what you get or ordering their signature waffle and ice cream combinations and/or boba teas. I went to Puffles on a Thursday night. Just from walking in, I was greeted with a lovely, chic atmosphere and friendly staff, all of which were wearing masks and following CDC guidelines. Though it was a Thursday night -- and I walked in an hour before closing -- the place had a good amount of guests enjoying their boba teas and waffles. While I came for the boba tea, I couldn’t leave without trying the signature bubble waffles. So, I went with an original- flavored waffle with Oreo filling. Since I was also getting boba tea, I opted out of adding ice cream. As for the tea, I got two of them, one milk-based and the other tea-based. I’m a big fan of Taro teas and chose this as my milk tea with strawberry boba. The tea-based option I got was a peach tea with tapioca pearl boba. Out of everything I got, the teas were my favorites, and I definitely liked the Taro Milk Tea the best. The peach tea was too sweet, and having had bubble waffles in other places, I felt these lacked a little flavor, but maybe, it was just because I ordered it a little plain. I definitely see myself coming back here and trying out other items, but one thing is for sure, I’ll definitely also be getting a Taro Milk Tea. $$ 349 Johnson St Hollywood, FL 33019 Flor Ana Mireles Copy Editor With permission to print from F. Mireles support minority-owned businesses, allowing them to expand and thrive. Due to the circumstances, it has been hard to shop in person. Despite this, the online community has flourished, allowing society to overcome some of the madness we have been facing. Many people started a small business over quarantine for fun, and others rely on their small business to get by. Supporting is simple. When you make a purchase, share with others or even like on social media, you are supporting. Keep supporting the small businesses you love and branching out to new ones.