There are many benefits of shopping small businesses in your community. Small businesses directly impact your immediate community and local economy.
- Tax Money. Our communities benefit from the sales taxes from small businesses. This money helps finance our roads, public schools, sidewalks, parks, police officers, firefighters, and more.
- Local Jobs. Small businesses provide local jobs for our friends and family. They also work with other local businesses for services they need to run their businesses, which equals even more jobs within our local communities.
- Better Service. Small businesses typically provide better customer service, individualized attention and assistance to customers.
- Unique Products. Small businesses don’t just take the best selling items across the country or state and sell those at your local big box store. Small businesses are in touch with the local area, they know the local trends and in the end provide you with more unique products for your home and gifts.
We can each make a difference by shopping small all year long and on Small Business Saturday this year. Think of it as an investment into the community in which you live and love.
Each summer, we shop at a couple local farm markets where we get outstanding prices on locally grown produce. My favorite is Dunkler’s Farm Market in Copley, Ohio. We start out in the Spring buying flowers and vegetable plants for our gardens. In the Summer, we buy all their fresh produce. In the Fall, we load up on pumpkins and mums. It usually turns out to be a family affair where we all pick our favorite fruits and vegetables. I wish we had the opportunity to buy local produce year round. My family eats healthier and I feel good about knowing where my produce came from. Have you checked the labels on where your fruits and vegetables come from?!
When we need our car repaired, we go down the street about a half mile to a one-man repair shop. His prices are better, service is quicker, and we have developed a friendship with the owner. We trust him and his service is unbeatable. I would rather pay him to do our repair work knowing that I am supporting a neighbor. When I use to go to the national chains, there were multiple employees who I didn’t know that always pushed a huge list of ‘recommended’ services that my car didn’t really need.
It is our duty to support the small businesses in our local communities every chance we get. When we do, we are supporting our neighbors, we are supporting our local economy, and we are helping our communities to succeed and thrive.
Let’s support our small businesses this Small Business Saturday on Saturday, November24, 2012 – and all year long for the good of our local economy and communities. Akron, Ohio is covered with small businesses, just look around. You can find your local map here too.
I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for American Express. I received a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.
