We hear it often, “support local businesses”, but do we truly know the value of what buying local and supporting small businesses really means?
After the pandemic hit, I started to make more of an effort to support local businesses to give back to my community as much as I could. However, it wasn’t until we started our own small business that I truly began to understand the value of supporting local. Through research and experience, I’ve learnt that when we support a local business, we get to enjoy many benefits that simply cannot compare to purchasing at large international chains.
These are just a few:
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You know exactly who your money is going towards. Local businesses are owned by local people, and chances are, these people are more committed to the welfare and future of your community than large corporations. Simply put - our success is reliant on you, therefore we are committed to you.
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When you purchase from a local business who also supports other local businesses, it keeps the money in Australia which is great for our economy.
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Every purchase you make (no matter how big or small) means everything to a local business owner. Your values, needs and wants are infinitely more important to a local business owner than it ever would be to owners of large corporations.
- Supporting local also means that you are not supporting large suppliers who cut corners and take part in unethical practices (such as forced labour, exploitation and poor working conditions to name a few). Yes they may offer cheaper price points, but what is it really costing you and our world?
As consumers, we all have a role to play in, which is why we all must take responsibility about where and what we put our money towards. Supporting local might mean a few extra $$$, but in this case, a little extra goes a long way. Together, with every purchase we make, we can contribute to the kind of world that we want to live in.