Shopping small and supporting local businesses is a win-win for everyone. When you shop small, it keeps jobs in your neighborhood and makes a huge difference for small businesses, especially over the festive period. UK statistics show that for every £1 spent in a small or medium-sized business, 63p stays in the local economy, compared to 40p in a larger business. So, how can you support your local businesses?
Prioritize shopping local: Instead of turning to a big retailer, you should try and take your Christmas list to Instagram, Etsy or even along to your local farmer’s market. Chances are you can probably find most of your shopping list items at these places.
Commit to shopping small for 24 hours: Challenge yourself to choose one day of the holiday season to dedicate to shopping small. You can kick off your day with a coffee and almond croissant from a local café, book yourself in for a spa for a massage, pop into boutiques in your neighborhood to grab some gifts, and then end the evening all rugged up and drinking mulled wine at a Christmas market.
Share your experiences on a social post: If you’ve recently bought or received something from a small business, show off your goodies with a social post on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. It also makes all the difference when you follow the social pages of the small business and like, comment and share their posts to help others see their products/services.
Leave a review: As a small business owner, I can confidently say that reviews are invaluable in establishing a foundation of trust with your community and future potential customers. As a customer, leaving a glowing review is one of the best and easiest things you can do to support a small business. In the event that you have a poor experience with a small business, I recommend reaching out to the business directly to resolve the issue and avoiding posting negative reviews on their Facebook, Etsy or selling platform. Most sellers are more than happy to provide a refund, replacement or gift voucher and would rather work with you in order to resolve the issue.
Supporting small makes you happier: Technically, this statement is not based on any research-based evidence, but I am standing by it as I always feel happy when I purchase from another small business, or when I go to the local farmer’s market with my Christmas list.
As you can see, shopping small makes such a difference – for you and your local businesses. My next blog post will include some wonderful businesses that I love and should be high on your list to check out when you’re doing this Christmas shopping this year. If would like to share some small businesses you love, please leave them in the comments below!
Nat xx
