We all can get behind the premise of shopping local and how it impacts our economy. We may even say we do, but when it comes right down to it, do you really?
We are seeing mom and pop stores close almost every day and even the large chains are feeling the impact of people not actually shopping in the stores. We don’t realize how detrimental that is to our local economy.
$68 of every 100 spent in your community, stays in your community. Zero goes to your community when you buy something on line.
While we can complain that we don’t want to get in the crowds or contend with the hassle of going into a store, we will turn around and complain when we can no longer go into that store.
The internet has become detrimental to our communities, especially the local businesses. These businesses provide jobs and they help the owners send their children to school. Local businesses impact the local economy and when there are no businesses left, there will be no sales tax to help the local economy.
If you really do your homework, many times, on-line deals, once you pay for shipping and handling, don’t turn out to be such great deals. Besides hadn’t you rather pay a little more to help keep someone employed locally?
My youngest daughter manages a retail store. She is always telling me about people who come in to try things on and then say they will buy it on-line because it may be $5 less. These people don’t realize that the store has overhead — rent, utilities and employees. These employees put money back into the economy when they spend their hard earned money locally.
Our thinking has gotten warped on this matter. It may be easier, and at times it is cheaper to shop on line, but is it really worth contributing to the death of local businesses? I don’t think so and we need to wake up before it’s too late.
When you shop local, the community’s living economy stays healthy and strong. Shopping locally says you want your community to stay unique. Shopping locally doesn’t mean that you totally forget the outside world, but that you are nurturing your locally owned businesses and keeping control in your community.
Money re-circulates when you purchase locally and helps grow other businesses.
Here are ten good reasons to buy locally.
1. Significantly more money re-circulates because the money is kept in the community where you live and play, and where your children attend school. Local businesses often purchase from other local businesses such as service providers, farms, etc so buying locally helps grow other businesses as well as the local tax base.
2. Non-profits receive greater support. Local businesses are invested in their communities and they help support the schools and other non-profit organizations like Katie Jones’ projects — Kids Yule Love & Baskets of Love.
3. Unique businesses are an integral part of our community’s distinctive character and buying locally helps attract more businesses and keep that hometown feeling.
4. Environmental impact is reduced. Local businesses make more local purchases requiring less transportation which means we have less congestion, habitat loss, resource depletion and pollution than the larger businesses.
5. Most new jobs are provided by local businesses.
6. Customer service is often better, or at least it should be. Local businesses often invest in their employees.
7. Local business owners invest in our community. They are owned by people who live in this community; are less likely to leave; and are more invested in the community’s future.
8. Put your taxes to good use. Local businesses require comparatively little infrastructure investments, add more to the tax base and make more efficient use of public services.
9. Competition and diversity leads to more consumer choices. More small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and lower prices over the long-term but unless people make local purchases, there will be no new businesses added.
10. 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 local businesses.
When you purchase locally, you are also investing in yourself. You are giving back to your community and your sales tax money helps your government entities with various projects. When you purchase on-line, you are not helping anyone other than the place you made a purchase.
All in all, it just makes good sense to buy as much locally as possible. Think about it every time you make a purchase. Are you hurting or helpings your community with your purchases. Shop local. That means subscribe to your local paper as well!!©2017

VICTORIA SIMMONS is an author, columnist, motivational speaker, minister and publisher of The Georgia Post/Byron Buzz. Contact her at: vsimmons54@gmail.com