The movement to do business with local entrepreneurs and small businesses has been steadily growing in recent years. Consumers are taking small steps away from large, impersonal big-box retailers to shop at stores within their own communities.
But it turns out that your local farmers, craftspeople, and mom-and-pop shops aren’t the only ones benefiting from your family shopping on a smaller scale. The kids in your community, including your own, also benefit when you shop local.
Not sure how? Here are a few ways your kids benefit from supporting local businesses.
- Local food supports your family’s health. There are between 28 million and 30 million small businesses operating in the United States. Many of these small businesses include farmers and grocers that supply local foods with numerous health benefits to your family. For instance, raw local honey is thought to help battle allergies. You also have access to produce, dairy, and meat that you know is chemical-free.
- Small businesses keep jobs open for your kids. Small businesses make a big economic impact. And that’s not just because niche markets like powder coating bring $12.48 billion into the economy. According to the Small Business Administration, over half of all U.S. jobs since 1995 have been created by small businesses. That means, when your family shops locally, you’re providing a greater number of potential job opportunities for your kids when they grow up.
- Small businesses help to keep communities safe. About 32.35 million people moved in the U.S. in 2018 and, according to a recent study conducted by Trulia, the second-most popular desire among city-dwellers was a stronger sense of community. Small businesses help to make communities stronger and safer because you’re more likely to get to know a small business owner than the CEO of a big-box retailer. The stronger the community, the safer the area.
- Small businesses help to support schools. When you support local businesses, you can feel confident knowing that you’re not only supporting the shop owner but also your child’s education. Businesses pay sales taxes to the city and county where their business is located. That means their tax money is used to support public schools, parks, sidewalks, roads, and public service work. When you shop at stores that aren’t local, you’re not recycling that money back into your community.
- Small businesses make your community a fun place to grow up. Local businesses make a community unique. Your kids aren’t likely to look back fondly on shopping in large-scale department stores and chain restaurants. But they’ll remember when your family stops for breakfast at the local diner or in the quirky crafts shop. When your family supports these small businesses instead of large chains, you ensure that your community stays unique and diverse, which makes your community a fun place to be. And when the average American homeowner moves every few years, building a community you want to stay in is something truly special.
There are many different reasons to support your local small businesses from greater convenience to better customer service. But ultimately supporting local businesses helps to support your community and the families that live there, including your own.
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