7 reasons to shop local that prove the importance of small businesses

Why you should shop local and support small businesses?

Look what happened during the lockdown. Small businesses were forced to close their doors, while Amazon doubled their income compared to last year.

So we must understand the reason to support small businesses and stop feeding the big sharks. Hence, find out why you should shop local because only this way small businesses can be removed from life support and get a fair chance for survival.

Moreover, when shopping locally, it’s not only you doing a favor to small business owners to survive, but it’s also doing yourself a favor and receiving some benefits a large store could never give.

Boosting the local economy

UK statistics show that for every £1 spent in a small or medium-sized business 63p stay in the local economy, compared to 40p in a larger business. Moreover, small businesses are leading employers internationally. They tend to hire people from close surroundings, which again keeps the money within the community. 

At the same time, local companies more often than not collaborate with other local entrepreneurs – more growth for the local tax base! Besides stimulating innovation and competition, they also play a big role in product diversity.

Shaping the community’s identity by supporting small business

One thing is for sure, entrepreneurs breathe life into the community. Their welcoming and positive attitude towards strangers, as well as returning customers, sets an example for everyone. In addition to that, another reason why you should shop local is that local businesses create a culture that easily becomes a trademark for the place and attracts visitors i.e. influencing tourism.

Did you know that small businesses are bigger sponsors of sport than multi-million corporations? Yes, they are. Equally important, they are big supporters of charities and are keen on donating to organizations that directly deal with problems within the community.

And last but not least, through providing apprenticeships and internships small business owners pass on their skills to the youth which is crucial for the future growth and development of the town.

Shopping local means preserving the environment

As we mentioned before, local shops tend to employ locals. Since they live close by, they don’t need a car or public transport to get to work, thus decreasing carbon emission. Also, since they are usually located inside the town, that makes them more accessible and within a walking distance to everyone. Speaking of that, they more often than not choose to settle in already existing buildings, adding bonus points for low infrastructure impact.

More importantly, because of their tendency to use local suppliers and collaborate with other town businesses, the bad impacts transportation and distribution have on the environment are close to a minimum, which is not the case with big chains.

Small businesses offer better shopping experience

As opposed to the copy-paste products sold at large companies, local shops are a source of creativity and originality. They offer one-of-kind products or services that they’ll be more than happy to customize and personalize according to your wishes. 

Furthermore, the staff at local shops are ready to go the extra mile and make your shopping experience as smooth as possible. They certainly know how to connect with customers on a personal level. In small stores, there are no crowds and your presence there is as glorified as a religious miracle.

Making dreams come true when you support local small businesses

Another reason why you should support local businesses is that they are built by ordinary people, who are often our friends, family, neighbors, or acquaintances. Small business owners are not a board or stockholders that have long lost touch with reality and have no idea what your needs are.

Small business owners put everything they have in life at stake to make their dreams come true. And if we take a deeper look, they often have a couple of mouths to feed at home, a mortgage to pay, old shoes to replace, a roof to fix, etc.

By helping them keep their dream alive you’re directly bringing happiness into their lives. And what’s more rewarding than making someone happy?

Small businesses can quickly adapt to changing climates

It’s well known that small businesses are mostly customer-oriented and understand the needs of their community, therefore, they can adapt to changing economic climates more quickly than large corporations.

Because of their dedication and good customer service, customers often choose to support small businesses in tough times and are most likely to remain loyal to local businesses during an economic downturn. That helps small businesses to adapt to financial changes while remaining the same quality service or products.

Moreover, since the revenue of local businesses is less compared to larger corporations, they may have less to lose in times of economic crisis, hence, if you shop local you won’t experience some of those drastic changes large corporations have to make. 

Small businesses can grow into large corporations

Another reason why you should shop local is that you are helping a small business grow into a large corporation that will be able to give back to the community. We witness many businesses that started as side hustles and became major players in the national and international industry. 

When small businesses grow into large businesses they often remain in the community where the business was established, hence they will stimulate the local economy by providing new employment opportunities. 

Thus, next time you shop from a local small business, keep in mind that one of the reasons to support small businesses is supporting something that may significantly improve living in your community. Having a large corporation headquartered in a community can even create a market that favors the development of additional small businesses.

Conclusion

On the whole, the answer to why you should shop local is because when supporting local businesses you create a win-win situation for everyone in the community. You get the best buying experience, the owner and employees get their livelihood, the community gets the taxes. 

So, when in doubt whether to buy from a large store or buy locally, think of these seven ways you are helping your community every time you purchase something from a small local business.