When you support a small local business, you are supporting a dream, a story, and a family. You’re supporting creativity, ingenuity, along with all those late nights and early mornings. Our current world is shifting consumer buying power from an international to domestic demographic, supporting our trusted local businesses has become a priority as opposed to relying on multi-national corporations that produce standardized goods overseas. Now is a better time than ever to stand by our local craftspeople, creatives, farmers, manufacturers, and retailers.
The best aspects of shopping locally don’t just lie within the quality of their products or the wonderful services that they provide with a smile. What makes them special is their stories, those of a single idea that blossomed into a reality. These could have started while on a walk in the park or inspired by a cherished loved one. A local business operates while remaining true to the integrity of what the idea once was, ensuring each product is made the way in which it was initially intended to be made.
Here are six reasons why you should support small local businesses:
1. Boosts Local Economies.
Compared to commercial chain stores owned by larger corporations, local businesses recycle a larger proportion of their revenue back into their local communities and boost their economies. These small businesses often source their materials from other local businesses, farms, and service providers.
2. Reduces Environmental Impact.
When you purchase something that is locally made, you are significantly reducing pollution, traffic congestion, depletion of resources, and loss of habitats. This is because small local businesses generally import their materials and manufacture their goods locally, which means that less transportation is required overall.
3. Encourages Innovation.
Innovation is at the heart of local businesses, behind each one is a story of an individual or family who had the idea of starting something different. Encouraging these ideas inspires creativity, entrepreneurship, and craftsmanship. You can read some of these stories on Neau Collective, a global online marketplace offering a curated range of Australian and New Zealand made products.
4. Personalised Customer Service.
Local businesses look to hire those with specific expertise regarding the product or service they are selling, this makes for a better all-around customer experience. Small-business owners build and nurture their customer relationships as they rely on reoccurring customers not only for their ongoing support but to spread the word. This unique and personalised experience contributes to the character that these businesses add to the community, not to mention the impeccable quality of product that you will receive.
5. Creates Jobs.
Supporting local businesses means helping the community thrive, as it creates more jobs and in turn, a better local economy. Even the smallest of businesses need enough employees so that they can successfully operate.
6. Promotes Individuality and Exclusivity.
Buying from a local business guarantees that you are receiving an item that is original and one of a kind, this adds uniqueness and character to a community. Being unique should be celebrated, and this starts by encouraging a community to invest in pieces and products that will allow them stand out and be different.
