The movement is on! People are turning to local, independent businesses to do their shopping – from farmer’s markets to handmade art & craft shows. Some consumers are seeking a different kind of shopping experience, but why should they?
Here are a few reasons:
- Freedom of Choice! As a consumer, I’m sometimes beaten down by how often our money goes to anonymous big businesses (electricity, phone, etc). As a household, we love being able to CHOOSE who we make purchases from, so we always look for opportunities to do so!
- Unique, Quality & Custom Experiences, Services & Products. When you buy from a small business – especially in the “handmade” industry – you are sharing a little bit of the artisan’s history and personality – all of the things that go into their craft. This creates a unique experience, a connection between buyer & seller, that doesn’t happen with automatic transactions or hurried “behind the counter” checkouts.
- Supporting the Local Economy! Buying from small, local businesses infuses the local economy – not only can you feel good about helping out a local artisan, designer, crafter, service person, farmer, etc., you can be happy knowing that they will in turn, be spending some of their earnings on obtaining local supplies, employing local workers and selling at local shops and markets.
Other small businesses to consider:
- change from a big bank to a Credit Union
- buy clothes from a consignment store or resale shop
- arts & craft shows
- thrift stores
- bartering artists
- farmer’s markets & co-ops
- local graphic designers
- home repair/service
What are your favorite ways to buy local?
