Loving your local independent businesses

Give some LOVE to your local independent businesses this holiday.

The holiday season is officially here and it is easy to get caught up in the frenzy and pressure of buying and overspending. The first step to creating a stress free holiday is to stay within your budget. Set a budget for your gift giving and stick to it! If you are on a tight budget consider making a homemade gift or go treasure hunting at your local goodwill, ARC, or antique store. I came across, Antique Mall off East Colfax which has vendor booths that sell curated goods. The space is filled to the brim with goodies, but it is well organized and clean! I would highly recommend checking them out. I went in, looking for 80s clothes and I walked out with pink margarita glasses, glass tumblers, clothes and some beautiful hand painted cards. Get creative this holiday season and think outside the box, some of the most memorable gifts are those that are personal and handmade.

Saturday, November 30th is Small Business Saturday! Remember to give some love to your local small businesses. According to an economic impact analysis by the American Independent Business Alliance, 48% of each purchase at local independent businesses was recirculated locally, compared to less than 14% of purchases at chain stores. This means that small independent retailers return more than three times as much money per dollar of sales to the local economy than chain competitors. So, in short, shopping at local independent retailers creates more revenue for local businesses and more local jobs.
By comparison, shopping online from large retailers located elsewhere creates almost NO local economic benefit. With the exception of the delivery person, there is no additional economic activity happening in the community from these types of purchases.
I know that it is super convenient to purchase everything online, but I implore you to make an effort to buy local this year. Your local small business owner will be forever grateful.
Here is to a peaceful, healthy, and creative holiday!

Blessings and Light,