Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably been hearing the term “support local” on repeat lately.
#SupportLocal
#SupportSmallBusiness
#ShopLocal
Most of us have no problem jumping on board with this, with great small businesses around almost every corner in the Winnipeg Metro Region. But some Manitobans understandably prefer shopping at larger franchise businesses. Sometimes it’s a matter of product availability, price, or convenience—and hey, we get it!
If this sounds like you, we hope you keep reading.
This week’s blog post is here to provide you with some information about exactly why bringing your business to a local organization is so important right now, and how it ultimately benefits you.
A stronger community benefits ALL its residents—including you.
A recent study found that for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 stays in the community. Whereas every $100 spent at a chain retailer keeps just $43 in the community.
Local businesses also more often source their products / ingredients from other local businesses. Think of restaurants supporting local farmers, art galleries promoting local artists, or health food stores stocking goods from local makers.
Why does Support Local matter?
Because making your purchases in this way helps these local businesses grow, which makes for better local tax bases and an economically stronger community.
When you spend money at a local business, you’re investing in your community. And when you invest in your community, that community can provide better services for you.
You’re more likely to find one-of-a-kind products
When it comes to gifting, nothing quite compares to buying local. Whether it’s a painting, a piece of clothing or apparel, or even something less long-lasting like a birthday cake, purchasing a product from a local maker means purchasing something that was hand-made. And even if owning an original doesn’t seem all that important to you, consider how important it is for that local maker to see their hard work pay off in the form of a sale.
It could be better for your health
Which would you rather have: a head of cauliflower that’s been handled and transported from two countries away, or a head that’s been plucked from a nearby farm just yesterday?
Buying local gives you easy access to fresh food that’s more likely to be chemical free. Produce that’s grown and sold in the same region doesn’t have to endure days—sometimes weeks—in transport, which means there’s no need for any kind of plastic packaging or preservative measures. This not only benefits your health and your peace-of-mind, but also the environment as well. Win-win-win!
It’s more likely to help out the charities / non-profits in your community
If you’re someone who cares about helping out the less fortunate in your community, consider making the switch to local.
In addition to supporting fellow small businesses, local employers on average donate more to local charities than non-local owners. Now, that’s not to say that large franchises don’t give back (there are thousands of big companies that do great things for charity), but small businesses are more likely to support local initiatives that might feel a little bit closer to home for you.
More personalized service
We’re certainly not going to claim that every small business is sure to provide you with better customer service—because there are plenty of excellent customer service representatives around who work for larger corporations—but small business staff often get to know their customers personally and are willing to tailor services to accommodate them. This is especially true when it comes to smaller communities where word-of-mouth can be crucial.
When you support a small business, you’re helping to provide that business owner with a livelihood—and they’re often very appreciative of that.
In conclusion, supporting a local business benefits not only the staff and customer, but often the entire community.
What more reasons do you need?
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