This week, the week before Thanksgiving, we are being bombarded with more than just turkey recipes and guest RSVP’s. The moment we get the mail from the mailbox or turn on the TV, we are hit with loads of Black Friday advertisements. The super sales, the amazing deals. And each year, the doors open earlier and earlier, and the deals from major companies seem to get better and better. Millions of dollars in revenue are made the day after Thanksgiving, ushering in the holiday season.
But what about our small local businesses?
I can’t begin to express the importance of ‘Shopping Small.’ Shopping the small local businesses in your community is beneficial for so many reasons. First, you are putting money directly back into your community. Shopping local isn’t helping expand a large corporation. Rather, it is encouraging local economies. It means the people in your community are employed, and the hardworking small business owners are gaining support.
One of the greatest aspects of ‘Shopping Small’ is the personal relationship you have with your purchases. I love knowing where my purchases are coming from. I like going to the bakery on my main street and picking up bread because I know she made it by hand herself. I like going to the children’s boutique down the street because the owner knows me by name and is particular about the items she chooses to sell in her store. I like going to my local coffee shop because they roast their own coffee and know what i order. I like my shopping experiences to be personal, and like the TV show Cheers: “where everybody knows your name.”
A community without small businesses would be vacant. And these communities would struggle to flourish and thrive.
How can you support your community?
Small Business Saturday is November 24th. Spend a day in your town. Start by having breakfast at the local cafe. Grab a hot beverage at the local coffee shop. Spend the morning (or afternoon. Or evening) poking around all the shops. Get to know the shop owners (they’d love to talk to you!). And then make purchases that will support your community!
If you are on twitter and ‘Shopping Small’ on November 24, use the hashtag #SmallBizSat
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of American Express. I received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.
