The future you want.

I heard something the other day that resonated with me and summed up how I have been feeling regarding supporting small and local. A store owner posted a story on social media during Black Friday weekend, and was talking about what it means to her when people choose to shop local in her store over the big guys. What she said perfectly summed up why I feel so passionately about supporting small.

For every $1 you spend with a small business, approximately .68 comes back to the community. For every $1 you spend with a big box store, about .05 comes back to your community.

Source unknown and figures are approximate.

This business owner went on to say that when you are thoughtful about shopping small, you are shopping for the future that you want and encouraged people to think about the future that they desire for themselves and their community. This is so true and such a profound way of summarizing the importance. Think about the above dollar reference from just a financial perspective and let that sync in. And now think about your community and your hopes for the future for our children.

These reasons come to mind as I think about my own community:

• Do you have kids in extra curricular activities or sports?

  They are likely supported by local businesses in your community.

• Do you like seeing full store fronts in your community or empty, run down vacant spaces?

  This is a huge problem in some areas where there are abandoned strip malls that are deteriorating.

• Is part of your retirement nested in the property you own that you will eventually sell and downsize?

  If you have invested in a home for your family, chances are you eventually plan to downsize and use those funds for part of your retirement.

• Did you choose the community you live in for a reason?

  We often choose communities based on schools, the culture and/or having a common ground. Supporting your neighbors is a win/win for the vitality of the town.

Local businesses make the economy go round and round. This shop owner went on to encourage people to think about this and be thoughtful in your approach. Even if you just make the effort to shop locally once a month or quarter, the impact adds up. If you like that local spot for dinner, go there! Tell people about your favorite small businesses and encourage them to share theirs as well. That local shop or restaurant is likely a supporter of the local food banks or activities your kids participate in that rely on funding from the community. The big guys are not coming to your town to pour money into the high school bands or arts programs to keep those programs alive. When you shop huge corporations, you are lining the pockets of the executives. Of course there are reasons to support big box as well, but think about spreading the dollars. Even if you are shopping smaller businesses out of state, think about how that helps those communities. Pay the shipping and spread the love.

It is no secret that this past year has been rough on local businesses. Especially those in retail that also dabble in e-commerce. Shipping costs are up and the level of speed and service are down. It is crucial we remember these businesses during the holidays and beyond if we want to see them remain in our communities. Build the future you want in your town and pay attention to where you spend your hard earned dollars. The impact is huge and could definitely impact your bottom line as a member of that community.

I made a commitment in my personal life to pay attention to where I am spending. My quest is to support founder driven brands and small business whenever I am able. And let me tell you, the quality and service is unmatched! It is worth every extra penny. Because let’s be real, it really doesn’t cost us that much more to support small and local beyond a few extra bucks, the cost of shipping and sometimes convenience of having to patiently wait for your order to arrive.