Shopping from a small business can ensure that you are directly supporting someone’s livelihood in your area and are contributing to your local economy. This holiday season, if you are hoping to source your holiday a little closer to home, there are a few tricks to employ. Having a locally-sourced holiday may be a little bit harder at first, but the upsides can far outweigh the negatives, as long as you know these tips.
Plan Ahead
If you have become accustomed to ordering anything you can think of online at the last minute, a local shopping at a local business may require some adjustment. Remember, those small businesses do not have the same shelf space, resources or bandwidth to perfectly meet everyone’s needs right away. Be sure to plan ahead if you are hoping for a specific item or style. Your favorite shop can likely order something if they don’t have exactly what you need, but it will likely take a little bit of extra time and care to get it to you.
Budget Thoughtfully
A handcrafted or artisanal item may require some more investment than its commercially manufactured counterpart. You may also find that brands that are identical to ones available at a box store, may still be marked up by a few dollars because small shops cannot buy the items in the same bulk quantities. For these reasons, it’s important to budget thoughtfully. Decide what you truly want out of your gift-giving items; a handmade end curated gift will likely last a lot longer and have a bigger impact. It could be worth a larger investment. However, some small generic items may make more sense to purchase from a box store. Evaluate what you can spend and use your budget accordingly. Whenever possible, purchase from your local mom-and-pop shops–even if they can’t get the best deal around.
Go Beyond Gift Giving
Your holiday meals and treats can also benefit from a local touch. Check with nearby farmers, artisan bakers and restaurants. Near the holidays you will find that many of your favorite places are offering delicious items that you can buy and prepare or simply bring home and devour to save you time. If you don’t already have any favorite vendors, go to your local farmers market. You’ll be sure to find some gems.
Phone a Friend
Word of mouth is often a small business’s best marketing strategy. If you want to support your favorite business this holiday season, pass along their information to friends and family. This will ensure that your favorite small business flourishes for years to come. Likewise, if you are looking for a new place to purchase a specific item be sure to check in with your friends, neighbors and even your chamber of commerce.
Developing these relationships with local businesses can be a little extra effort at first, but will pay dividends as you become a regular customer. You may even find yourself on the receiving end of a great deal that you could not have otherwise gotten.
