On the Saturday after Black Friday, it’s encouraged that we shop local to celebrate and support small businesses and all that they do for the community. As a traveler, you live in multiple cities throughout the year and have a chance to shop at various small businesses in your new city. If you shop locally at every new assignment location, you are not only touching the lives of your patients but the lives of everyone in your new community.
Here are 5 reasons why you should be shopping small in every city you live in:
1.) The taxes you pay, stay local
Although you may still be paying taxes on the items you purchase, the biggest difference is that those tax dollars stay in your community when you shop locally. The parks you love to roam, the roads you travel, the
Schools your kids excel in, the public service workers like your local firefighters benefit from keeping your tax dollars local.
2.) Friendly competition
While our friends in the larger corporations may sometimes be able to provide us with coupons from time to time or even “semi-annual sales,” our pals at our local competitor store will be able to mark down their merchandise more easily due to perhaps getting those items locally and not having to provide a heavy fee or shipping or maybe works closely with a vendor that has similar products.
3.) Customer service is the bee’s knees
With bigger businesses comes different sets of rules that need to be followed in terms of handling certain situations. There are 1-800 numbers to call when it comes to the masses, people to be connected to, messages left, calls not returned, and lots of unresolved issues. It’s refreshing to walk into a corner store and speak to your neighbor or even make friends with someone new that you know will do what’s best for your community.
4.) Unique products that create diversity
Many products brought in by large corporations are dependent on what is trendy and what will sell. It does not always meet everyone’s needs, and sometimes it’s hard to find a unique gift for someone. Having local businesses that can speak one-on-one with vendors to meet the needs of the few can be a great advantage in finding one-of-a-kind products. Furthermore, small businesses can be created by anyone, giving more flexibility to the structure of the business, how things are managed, etc., which ultimately could help a business withstand tough economic conditions.
5.) Give your community a breather
Starting a profitable business is one thing, but making a profit while helping the earth is a win-win. When you shop local, you help a business who overall is taking up less space for their shop than a large retailer, providing local items that can be delivered without much packaging or driving, and can be handmade, which is safer to dispose of and healthier for those who are using it.
Here’s to helping our communities prosper and flourish. Next time you go to buy that large chain’s cup of coffee, google your local café and see what their specialty is. Swing by your neighborhood farmer’s market and get fresh, home-grown fruits, veggies, and spices. Splurge a little and buy that handmade furniture your best friend’s husband made. You can make a difference today for your tomorrow.
