WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO BUY FROM A LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO BUY FROM LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS
Greetings Everyone! Today’s topic involves small business. This blog discusses why it’s important to buy locally from small businesses. These purchases can have a positive impact on your community. At Carts Gone Wild, we are dedicated to serving as an active member of the local community. Our Mission Statement and Core Values discuss family, community, happiness, and Integrity. These words represent the foundation for a successful local small business! The importance is easily forgotten when we make purchases.
There is no question that we have lots of options in our lives today! Purchases today are made in MANY ways. Groceries can be purchased by logging on our phone, placing an order, and having an attendant bring them out to our car! Household items can be ordered through an app on our devices and delivered THE NEXT DAY! It is only a matter of time until we simply speak out loud and a device will order our dinner or send us the parts needed to complete our projects! Our world will NEVER be less technologically advanced than it is today! Everyone is busy living hectic lives, so it’s understandable that we look for ways to simplify our lives.
Amazon, Facebook, large box stores and many large companies are already dreaming up ways to gain business by simplifying our lives. These types of outlets have a variety of products and usually have what we are looking to purchase. We must ask ourselves if this is the best means of making a purchase? Everyone likes the convenience of opening an app on our phone, selecting an item, and finding it on our doorstep within the next 24 hours. But where did the money you spent go? Who did it help? Did any of it stay in our local economy? Did any of the money from that purchase help another business, another person, or another family who is a part of our community? Large online retailers and big box stores are simply in the business of supplying a product to meet the needs of a consumer. The decisions on how these companies are operated may be made by people in another city, another state, or in many cases another country! When problems occur, we must jump through hoops, call a variety of 800 numbers, or box up the goods and find a way to return them! There is ZERO vested interest in customer satisfaction! In many cases (like Amazon) you will never speak with a human and it’s frustrating when trying to solve a problem. Large outlets usually have shareholders who are simply worried about turning a profit! They have little, if any, concern about their effect on the local economies in which their stores are located.
As consumers, we need to take a step back and think about the purchases we make. What are we looking for and what is important to us? The purchases we make CAN have a direct effect on our community and the people who live within. By CHOOSING to make purchases locally and support small businesses we can help strengthen our community. Carts Gone Wild is a great example. We are located in the small community of Haubstadt, Indiana. Haubstadt is a close-knit community where local people are very supportive of the home town small businesses. We have a few home town gems in Haubstadt. I call them gems because they are long lasting multi-generational small businesses that we simply couldn’t do without. Places like Dewig Meats, Holiday Foods, and M&M True Value are a few that come to mind. These places have a fantastic impact on our community, and we get the pleasure of using them on a weekly basis. I’m sure that Amazon or Walmart offer the same products for less, but what are the consequences of losing these small-town gems? At least for me, this would be heartbreaking. There’s many reasons to buy local:
Creation of Meaningful Jobs:
Successful small business allows business owners to create meaningful jobs. These employees have a vested interest in helping make the business successful. Employees who care about their work, are unquestionably happier employees and will love happier lives! In small businesses, the owners work directly with the employees. Daily interactions between owners and employees creates a sense of purpose and respect not seen when the owners sit in an office located in a different state! At Carts Gone Wild, we typically have anywhere from 17-20 employees, and all are from the local area.
Dollars Spent Staying in the Community:
A study completed by the University of Chicago shows that nearly $68 of every $100 spent with a small business stays in the community. (Large corporations show $42 of every $100) 70% of the money you spend with small business stays in the local economy. Small business owners are more likely to support other small business. At Carts Gone Wild, we use other companies such as Nix Metals, Kings Machine Shop, Perfect Climate Solutions, Scotty’s Lawn and many others. We make the effort to use local businesses to meet our needs. Small businesses are incredibly active in supporting local sports teams and community organizations. Carts Gone Wild prides itself on building relationships with local communities. Being a supportive, active member of our local community is at the center of our company’s Core Values. Employees of small businesses spend their paychecks in the local community. This keeps a continuous flow of money through the local economy. When large corporations receive our purchases, we have NO IDEA where money went!
Consumers Know the Owners and Employees:
Small businesses are made up of members of the community! When items are purchased, THERE WILL BE ISSUES! It’s just a fact that things will break. How a company works to resolve the problem, shows the value of that company. If the purchase is from a local company, we know exactly who we need to see when issues arise. Many times, the owners and employees are our neighbors. Knowing the people operating the business helps provide piece of mind for those making purchases. Cheaper and easier are NOT always the best answer! Knowing what you’re purchasing and who you’re purchasing from can determine the value of the product!
Small Businesses Provide Uniqueness:
Small business can be unique or niche type operations. Carts Gone Wild for example provides a variety of different golf cars that can be customized to fit your needs. If you can dream up a possibility, then we can build it! Can that be done over the internet, probably not. Can a golf cart be ordered over the internet? Sure! But having a facility in your backyard, that can show you the product to be completed, and meeting the people doing the work is the difference when purchasing locally!
Companies will put snapshots online with prices that may say “Starting at ------!” or “New ---- ONLY ----” but what exactly are you getting? These large box stores and online companies are driven solely by money and profit margins. Choosing local helps keep the community active and healthy! Next time you make a purchase, whether it be for clothes, groceries or parts for your golf cart think local. You can and will make a difference by taking the time to purchase from business who are vested in your community! The 4th of July is right around the corner, and many of us will be out shopping, eating and entertaining. While you are out and about, remember, SHOP LOCAL….SPEND LOCAL….EAT LOCAL….AND ENJOY LOCAL!
We hope that you enjoyed this blog. I think it’s fitting to end this blog with a saying I seen written on the wall of a small business I recently visited. Below is the saying:
When you buy from a small business, you are not helping a CEO buy his 3rd vacation property. You are helping a little girl get her dance lessons, a little boy get his team jersey, a Mom put food on the table, a Dad pay a mortgage, or a student pay for college tuition.