Supporting local businesses has always been such a great way to get involved in the community, but now the efforts we put into supporting them mean more than ever.
It can be hard sometimes to stray away from the big business chains that we get so used to, but there are some awesome benefits from choosing to shop local. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is to shop online and access all the wonders from small community businesses without ever leaving the couch. A lot of your favourite items are listed online for purchase, and it's easier than ever to browse for a new place in the neighbourhood to get whatever you may need, or even just to treat yourself or others around you!
If the concept of picking things up is something that deters you from shopping local, don’t forget that a lot of these places offer shipping or drop-off options for your convenience. Aside from the minimal effort required to shop local online, you can also guarantee that every sale made in a small business comes with personalised customer service. These local companies are relying on the community to help them thrive, so in turn, every purchase is greatly appreciated and reflected back with individualised assistance that really makes you feel special. You just won’t get that kind of energy from big chain companies, so all the more reason to keep it local and watch that inevitable kindness spread throughout the community like wildfire.
There’s also the added benefit of the unique creativity and distinctive feel of each product a small local business puts out for sale. You really don’t have to worry about gifting someone something from a local business and wondering if anyone else plans to give them the same thing. This makes for a really personal and sincere gift for someone you love, and also gives them something to talk about among their friends, as the word of mouth about these local businesses gets stronger with every small transaction.
Trying something new is always exciting, and why not share the local spirit by selecting nearby businesses when you feel like a bit of a change. There are loads of great local businesses for anything you’re after – food, crafts, clothes, gifts, jewellery, entertainment and so many services that you can turn to local employers for. If you find something great in the community while you’re branching out, sharing this with your friends and family is the perfect way to give local businesses the extra support they are looking for, and also provide other people with a new source for products!
If you aren’t already part of them, community pages on Facebook are the perfect place to look for opportunities to help local businesses. A lot of the businesses are already utilising this feature, and have posted their websites or pages on there for the community to use. You can easily jump onto the search bar in a community page, search for the product or service you’re after, and a lot of these posts will pop up. If that doesn’t work, it takes a few seconds to make a post on the Facebook group yourself, letting everyone know what you’re after and asking for suggestions from other members in your neighbourhood. What is better than getting reviews and suggestions from the people living in the same area as you?
There are also a lot of great tools to search for businesses near you, such as the Neighbourly Local Business Directory. This website makes it super easy to select a category for what you’re after, and then whittle down the location you’d like to search in. You can even search specifically for your suburb, if you want an easy pick up/shipping location. The businesses listed on this site include a brief summary of what they do, contact details, and reviews from fellow local shoppers too.
The money that we all put into our local businesses eventually cycles back out into the community and strengthens our local community. For example, you may buy a meal from a local business, which will then use their profits to buy locally sourced ingredients from a nearby farmers market and so on. These spending patterns build relationships that stem and grow from within the community. Local businesses often have a far smaller carbon footprint too, and they work and produce ethically, so there is the added bonus of being sustainable while you shop local.
So next time you go to the usual big chain to buy what you’re after, take a step back and seek it out in the community first. You never know what amazing treasures you might find hidden closer than you think.
