Senate Cents: A Financial Wellness Blog

Going out on your own in the world is a hard thing no matter what you’re doing. Now imagine doing that in this dog-eat-dog corporate world. Small business owners often have had their work cut out for them every turn for years. So, it’s a hard task they take on every single day and they do it to offer the public alternative options that are going to make a difference in the lives of consumers like us.

But why should we support local businesses? What makes them so powerful that it will change our outlook on big companies for the better?

Take a look for yourself. Here are some simple reasons to shop local that have a profound impact.

It shows you care about your local community

The number one perk to consider, for obvious reasons, is that supporting local means that you care about the community that you live in. You’ll be able to put money back into your community and the other people who call it home, too. It’ll give your local economy a chance to thrive, too.

It shows respect to the business owners

Local business owners don’t have the funds to go big or go home, so when you buy local you are going to be respecting that they are getting out there everyday and trying their best to make an honest living even against all of the competition out there. There is a lot to be said for that. Shopping with a local business — regular shopping, that is — shows them the respect that you have for them and their attempts at doing things the right way.

You’re helping bring character to the commercial world

The commercial world is full of companies that all offer basically identical options. It’s hard to find anything that is entirely unique anymore. When you drive across country, and all you see is the same scene… same brand, same big box stores, same products on the shelves. Very disappointing, isn’t it?

However, when you are going off the beaten track and looking at local options, you’ll find that you will be able to get that character that you want and need for a gift or just something special for yourself and your home.

You’ll get unique products

Unlike big corporations, shopping local is going to offer you unique products that will be as incredible as you think they will. You’ll find unique twists on traditional possessions, or entirely unique ideas that create products that you never even knew you needed before you saw them in that shop. There are lots of local makers who bring their personal experiences, skills, and creativity to their products. Take the time to go to a local market event sometime and you’ll find out how these local people bring the soul to their products. And believe me, it might just make your day.

They always want the best final result, not your money

There’s no secret about it, a big company is going to be all about the money. They only care about making a final profit so they can get richer and pay their shareholders a fat return on their investment. Not to mention that lots of them provide lower quality products that are less fresh and full of trashy ingredients. A local company is more than that. They’ll guarantee you a product that is the real deal. A reliable purchase that will promise you quality and a fresh twist on something that you saw by a big brand elsewhere. Sure, you’ll maybe pay a bit more for it, but the money is going to go back into the business to give it the ability to succeed in the future as well as keep the money flowing in the local ecosystem.

You are giving people jobs

There’s no question that the job market is tight these days, and by shopping local, you are keeping a business open (one that cares about you) and giving people jobs within it so that you can help the local economy in more ways than one. So think about that next time you debate between one option at a local shop versus one that is slightly cheaper at a big box store. Think about the people that you help employ.

Other ways to support local businesses

When it comes to supporting a local business, you can do a lot of good even if you don’t want to shop there for whatever reason. Follow them on social media and make sure you share their deals, sales or announcements so that you can network and help them get a wider net for people who will be interested in shopping there.

There is fun and practical purpose to shopping local. So when you have the chance to choose between the local business and a big superstore, go with local option for the reasons that we’ve talked about and you’ll see soon enough that it is going to be the right choice for you and your community’s future.

This article originally appeared on medium.com. View original article here.