Modern Goddess Magazine

December is upon us and the official holiday shopping season has begun. Our gift list encompasses our friends, family, and colleagues… maybe even a pet a two!  Whether you’re a small business owner, career woman or busy mom, shopping time can be limited. As you develop your strategy to find the perfect gift, consider the value and importance of shopping locally. Whether you shop at local boutiques or their online store, by making a local purchase your community benefits tremendously.

The top ten reasons to shop locally are listed below. Share them with everyone that you know and encourage them to make a conscious decision this holiday season when they make their purchases.

1. Support yourself – Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms – continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community.

2. Support Community Groups – Non-profit organizations receive an average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses.

3. Keep Your Community Unique – Where we shop, where we eat and have fun, all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of this place. Our tourism businesses also benefit.

“When people go on vacation they generally seek out destinations that offer them the sense of being someplace, not just anyplace.” ~ Richard Moe, President, National Historic Preservation Trust.

4. Reduce Environmental Impact – Locally owned businesses tend to prefer local purchases. Additionally, they usually set up shop in a town or city center as opposed to developing on the fringe. This means less urban sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.

5. Create More Good Jobs – Small, local businesses are the largest employer nationally and in our community. They provide the most jobs to residents.

6. Get Better Service – Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers.

7. Invest in Your Community – Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community and have a vested interest in the community’s future.

8. Put Your Taxes to Good Use – Local businesses in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the community.

9. Market-Driven Products – A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.

10. Encourage Local Prosperity – A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character. However, in order to maintain their uniquensess, its community members must commit to buying locally to support their continued success and growth.

Happy Holiday Shopping!

Thumbnail Image: Ali Edwards