It’s good to be reminded every once in a while that there are some solid reasons behind the phrase ‘shop at home.’ Sometimes we forget how much good every dollar spent at home does.
10 Reasons from the Lassen County Chamber of Commerce
1. KEEP OUR COMMUNITY UNIQUE. Where we shop, where we eat, and where we recreate and have fun—all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of this place.
2. SAVE MONEY. A marketplace of hundreds of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long term.
3. NON-PROFITS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS RECEIVE GREATER SUPPORT. Non-profit organizations and community groups receive three times greater support from smaller locally-owned businesses than they do from large businesses.
4. CREATE NEW AND MORE STABLE JOBS. Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally and provide the most new jobs. Local businesses also create more stable employment.
5. REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. Save gas by shopping locally. Shopping in town centers reduces sprawl, congestion, habitat loss, and pollution. Locally owned businesses make more local purchases, requiring less transportation of goods.
6. MORE MONEY RE-CIRCULATES IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. A dollar spent in an independent locally-owned store is usually spent 6 to 15 times before it leaves the community. These dollars are used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms, continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community.
7. ENCOURAGE LOCAL INVESTMENT. Local businesses are owned by community members who are likely to remain and continue investing in the community’s future.
8. SUPPORT LOCAL GOVERNMENT. Local businesses in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services.
9. GIVE BUSINESSES A REASON TO LOCATE HERE. Economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.
10. HAVE MORE CHOICES AND BUY WHAT YOU WANT. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based on their own interests and the needs of local customers, guarantees a broader range of product choices.
