SIX NATIONS – Buying products from an independent, locally owned business instead of a large national company means more of your money remains within the community and strengthens its economic base. When a consumer supports local business owners, they enjoy benefits that aren’t found when shopping at large chains.
Here are some benefits to support local entrepreneurs:
- Improve the local economy.
A Chicago study found that for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 remained in the city while only $43 of each $100 spent at a chain retailer. Local business owners often have incentives that support other local businesses. Chain businesses tend to get their supplies from corporate, as well as having store managers and employees that aren’t as personally invested in buying local.
- Create more good jobs.
Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally, and often provide the most jobs to residents.
- Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy.
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.
- Reduce environmental impact.
Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation, and generally set up shop in town or city centres. This generally means contributing less to congestion, sprawl, pollution and habitat loss.
- Know the people behind the product.
Getting to know the people behind the business you shop locally at lets you enjoy a connection you may not would not have elsewhere. When a favourite local business does well you can rejoice in their success and when a loved business closes down you can feel their pain.
- Keep the community unique.
Hole-in-the-wall, one-of-a-kind businesses play an important role in what makes a community unique and really help define a community. In the same way different provinces and territories and known for what their most-abundant resources are, communities can be known for what they sell.
