SOME PEOPLE SAY WHY AND I SAY WHY NOT!
Many of you have heard the saying “shop local” or “support small businesses”. Do we really understand what that means?
In the past year my husband and I have purchased these goods or services: groceries, clothes, jewelry, greeting cards, prescriptions, flowers, farm supplies, iron, quilting items, vacuum repaired, new cell phone, haircut, coffee, sub sandwich, pizza, Chinese food, Mexican food, new will and legal documents, passport, booked a vacation, worked out at a gym, had our daughter’s wedding and reception, went to a movie, saw a play, played disc golf and miniature golf, attended the fair, went to the races, took a loan out at the bank, attended church, had a pedicure, haircut, purchased insurance, invested money in a IRA, went to the doctor (including eye and dentist), office supplies, had ice cream/frozen Yogurt, bought parts for the car, gas, car wash, car detailed, oil changed, rock for the driveway, and more.
The list could go on and on. Everything on this list we got from a local small business. You may ask why this is important. What difference does this make? Here are my reason why I buy local.
- They care about me and go out of their way to help.
- I don’t have to drive 30-40 miles to get what I need.
- They pay property taxes in my community.
- I don’t have to fight traffic and wait in lines.
- Local businesses support local non-profits.
- They know my name and I know their name.
- I don’t have to call an 800# to get something solved.
Celebrating small business week is a time when we all need to remind ourselves of the benefits they provide for us and our community. I challenge all of us to “check it out” locally before we spend our dollars outside our community.