9 reasons why shopping small makes a difference

According to CNBC, America’s largest holiday in terms of spending is Christmas by far, which is why so many retailers rely on the fourth quarter retailing season to drive their earnings. You may have noticed more pressing language in the marketing stratosphere for holiday shopping and holiday-themed events like: Shop Small, Support Small Businesses, Support Independently Owned Businesses, Support Local Businesses and lots more.

But how can we do that, really?

Shopping, ordering local take-out, tipping generously, buying gift cards and shopping now to use for later are the first, no-brainers of supporting small businesses. For every $1 spent at a small, local, independently owned business, 67¢ stays in the local economy.

While spending your dollars locally is important, there are other ways to support small businesses through digital and personal avenues. Supporting small businesses, beyond shopping, is easier than you think. 

On the digital front, consider following your favorite small businesses on social media and sharing their content to your feed for your friends and followers to see. Don’t have social media? Write an outstanding Google or Yelp review sharing all the reasons why you love those businesses so much. Subscribe to their e-newsletters (you might snag good shopping deals there, too!).

Are you someone who makes it a point to be personal with someone? Consider doing things for your favorite small businesses like going out of your way to show your appreciation or delivering lunch to the whole team. Know a small business owner personally? Check in on them and see how they’re doing and if there’s anything you can do to help support them. Refer your friends and family members to those small businesses for their shopping needs too.

What’s the financial impact on the local economy when shopping at small businesses?

According to the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), there are at least four financial impacts that shopping local has on a local economy. Apart from 67¢ on every dollar staying in the local economy, here are four more financial impacts.

By shopping local, you…

Create Local Jobs | 1.2 Million Hoosier jobs come from small businesses in Indiana. When you support small businesses in your neighborhood, you’re helping to create higher-paying jobs for your neighbors and even creating jobs for essential professions such as educators and first responders.

Help the Environment | By shopping locally, you help to conserve energy and resources in the forms of less fuel for transportation and less packaging, which reduces your personal and communal carbon footprint.

Conserve your Tax Dollars | Taking your hard-earned money into small business districts in your community means less infrastructure, less maintenance and more money to be used to beautify your community. And, spending your money locally and in-store means that your sales taxes are being reinvested where they belong: your community.

Invest in Entrepreneurship | Investing your dollars back into your community supports the creative, entrepreneurial dreams of small business owners, wanting to make their community a better, more vibrant place to be.

Is there more than just a financial impact when shopping at small businesses?

We look to Indiana’s OCRA for the base of this information, but we see it happening at the local level here in Wabash, Indiana, too.

By shopping local, you…

Embrace what makes your Community Unique | Each defining characteristic of a downtown district is unique to itself. When you support the small businesses that make up that district, you’re celebrating its uniqueness.

Nurture Community | The downtown district is more than just commercial and retail spaces. It’s also a neighborhood full of dreams and everyday lives of small business owners, who make a difference in your community.

Create More Choice | Shopping at small, local businesses allows small business owners to pick items and products for their racks and shelves based on what you, as the shopper, like.

Take Advantage of their Expertise | When you shop small, and support those neighborhood businesses, odds are, you’re connected to those business owners somehow. You are the friend and neighbor of business owners vested in getting to know how to serve you as the customer (and you somewhat take on an ambassador mindset when you refer your friends and neighbors to that small business).

Make your Community a Destination | As a snowball effect prompted by fellow local shoppers, the more interesting your community, the more attractive it is for people outside of your community to explore why it’s so great. This benefits everyone.

And as a bonus, here’s our take on why it’s important to shop small and support local, independently owned businesses.

Over the 41 years that our nonprofit organization has been working toward reaching our Main Street goals, we’ve heard stories of how Downtown Wabash has changed through the decades and now it’s back to a place of bustling amenities, events, nightlife and weekend destination fun. From all shopping establishments, restaurants and bars, arts and culture amenities and outdoor recreation opportunities, we have more than 100 small businesses and things to do in our 2.5 mile footprint.

In short, Downtown Wabash has grown and continues to grow, thanks to the people who shop locally, invest in small businesses, fund our arts organizations, shape economic development projects, beautify the district, bring interactive art to the district, build new businesses, live in the district and champion the downtown district of our micropolitan city of Wabash, Indiana.

That’s our take on why shopping small and supporting small, local, independently owned businesses is important, especially for Downtown Wabash, Indiana.

Consider keeping your holiday shopping (and year-round shopping trips, date nights, coffee runs, family weekends, outdoor excursions and immersive art activities) local with small businesses in your neighborhood. 

Want to add an easy way to keep your dollars local? Purchase Downtown Dollars from the Downtown Wabash, Inc. office (or online!) to spend at more than 30 businesses in the district! Treat them like cash but flex where you spend them.