Since 2018, I have come to realize the importance of shopping locally. Whenever I spend my money at a local business or an owned business. One of my articles focuses on local bookstores(shout out to The Little Book and Beaverdale Books). I don’t think I should be the only one passionate about this, so I wanted to share with you three reasons why you should also care about shopping locally versus big corporations. This is all my opinion, but I believe there are very good reasons.
You are Keeping Money in the Community
Keeping money in the community is good because it creates jobs. Not only that, but many local businesses also support other smaller companies in their own endeavors. I know The Slow Down Coffee Co. sources its puzzles from local artists. They host smaller businesses, such as Chain & Spoke, which hosted DSM Flea as one of their monthly events.
You are Supporting a Dream
Many of the local businesses aren’t millionaires but normal people like you and me. A 9-5 can be great. However, it is not for everyone. A lot of creatives want to work, but not in a traditional sense. When you shop local, you are supporting them and helping them make a living from their craft. Not only are you supporting the owners, but also the people who work for them. According to Hombase, workers at small businesses tend to like their jobs more than those at large companies. Whether we want to have our own business or not, we all want a job that we don’t mind going to.
You get More of an Experience
Could this be the next third place? We are in a loneliness epidemic. There are several factors, but one is the lack of community. Many of these businesses host free events, allowing you to meet like-minded people. Are you an artist? Check out First Friday at MainFrame Studios’ monthly open house. Are you in Poetry? Go to the Des Moines Slam Poetry every third Thursday of the month. Alot of the bookstore hosts author readings and other events. Many communities want to see you there.
I hope I convinced you of the importance of shopping local. If not, I hope you learned something new. Many times, we worry about what is convenient, forgetting what matters most. People. There is a saying that having a community means being inconvenienced. Inconvenience gets a bad rep, but it means that people matter to you. If going to spend your money try to spend it in your community!
