Five Benefits of Shopping Local
There are currently almost 28 million small businesses operating throughout the United States. No matter the nation’s economic state, these millions of locally-owned businesses continue to employ, thrive, and produce revenue. Here are five benefits of shopping local and reasons why we should all support locally-owned businesses:
- Allows for Local Decision Making – When large retailers set up shop in a community, customers are bombarded with mass-produced items that are shipped all over the country. Effects of decisions made in those chain stores are rarely felt on such a small community scale. When a small business is started, however, that business owner caters their product or service to the community members. The community inadvertently affects the decisions the business owner makes and feels the impacts of those decisions as well.
- Encourages Entrepreneurship – The principle of entrepreneurship is essentially what fuels the business community all over the world. Supporting entrepreneurs as they begin their small businesses will ultimately continue to implement fresh ideas into the business world.
- Creates Jobs – Implementing small businesses into a local community means creating jobs for local community members. In some industries, local businesses are able to provide better wages and benefits for their employees than chain industries. Shopping local by area residents helps support area business owners and keeps jobs available in that community.
- Reduces Environmental Impact – When businesses are locally-owned, the need for transported goods and services is greatly reduced, which in-turn reduces the carbon footprint of that business. Small businesses also tend to reduce air and water pollution as well as habitat loss in their community.
- Keeps Money in the Local Economy – Much of the revenue collected by a small business is spent back in the community. According to research done by Civic Economics, for every $100 spent at a small business, $68 stays in that community. In contrast, only $43 of the $100 remains in a community when spent at a chain store in the area. Residents shopping locally improves a local economy by almost 30 percent.
This blog was written by Morgan Hampton.
