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| Just call me the Vanna White of shopping locally this holiday season |
If you shopped the big box stores on Black Friday, this is your chance to make a dent locally. For every $100 spent at independent businesses, $68 stays local versus only $43 that stays locally with big box stores. Visit the store on the corner owned by a local couple for the past 35 years. The new shop just opened by a young entrepreneur. These stores might not be in the mall or next to the big box store. They might not even be a store. You might have to seek them out.
I work with Pride of Dakota. We assist in marketing and building small businesses in North Dakota. This month we have showcases across our state. It is part of the reason I am exhausted but it is part of the reason I am intensely passionate about small business. Shopping locally allows our small businesses to keep our local economy going strong. But imagine if our nation instead of spending $52 billion on Black Friday spent that in local, independent businesses. We would see economic growth, more jobs and have the ability to keep dollars in our own communities, state and country.
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| My Thanksgiving baking came from Sonja’s Bakeshop and Mikey’s Country Candy |
Another part of my small business passion is that it directly impacts our family and business. My husband left his corporate job five years ago to work alongside his parents in their small business. Today we are co-owners and are the second generation in the business. We are a lumberyard and general contracting business 100 miles from a big box competitor. We work to deliver quality. We can’t always match the big box store prices. To survive and succeed, we need local support.
I won’t spend all of my holiday gift gifting budget with small businesses. There are a few things I will buy at a big box store or online. But this year I will shop small. I care about the people behind the businesses. I want to see local success. If we each do a little, a big impact could be felt.
How do you shop small?
I love small businesses! I skipped Black Friday, so I can spend more next weekend at the Pride of Dakota Holiday Showcase in Bismarck. I absolutely can’t wait!
No Black Friday business for me! Blah! I will be doing some small business shopping tonight as our traditional “Christmas on the Square” is happening this evening with the lighting of our small town square and visits from Santa and a parade.
I slept in on Friday, which I’m fairly certain is a gift my entire family appreciated . . . a well rested mama!
My favorite small business is our local Ace Hardware store which also has, arguably, the best kitchen store in North Dakota! As a matter of fact, I often have to give myself very strict limits there!
i’ve not done big box, local OR cyber shopping yet. 🙂
Small and local as much as I can! Am heading out today to do just that! 🙂
I try to shop as many local businesses as I can.
Have a wonderful Sunday!