Positive effects of spending local

A community’s local businesses are often what write the town’s history, initiate and maintain traditions and give a community its special characteristics. Shopping local also creates a positive ripple effect throughout the entire community.

Your money supports your community
When you spend local, it stays local. It pays local workers, who send their children to local schools and pay mortgages on homes in the community. Every American worker also pays taxes on money earned in the United States, which is then used to fund education, agriculture, social programs and business. It is a circulation of money that is crucial to a community’s success. According to the Andersonville Study of Retail Economics, shopping local generates 70 percent more local economic activity per square foot than big box store counterparts.

Your money supports your neighbor
Small businesses are run by your neighbors and they employ your neighbors. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 67 percent of jobs in the United States come from small businesses. By sticking local, your money is actually working overtime. Your dollars are getting you the things you need but they also work to get your neighbors the things that they need. You might find that the sticker price of an item at a local business is a little higher at times, but before you hesitate, remember that your dollar is working harder, too.

You get to know your community
Think about how quality customer service makes you feel. You are more likely to receive great customer service at a locally owned shop than at a big box chain. Local shops are deeply invested in your experience because they rely on your repeat business and word of mouth. Plus, if you have any questions, you are more likely to get a knowledgeable answer and may even develop a rapport with the owner. This investment means they get to know you and you, in turn, can get to know them if you frequent their shop enough.