We're down to less than a full week of Christmas shopping and it's not too late to shop local -- in fact, it might be your best choice at this point.
Why wonder if the delivery trucks are going to make it to your house in time when you can instead head over to a local merchant and walk out with that special gift?
In reality, we all should have been shopping local all season long. There's no reason to spend our holiday shopping budget online, not when every dollar we spend locally rebounds through the community in so many ways.
Yes, it's cold, the roads are slippery, parking can be a headache, and it's easy as pie to shop from your computer or phone while seated on a comfy couch. It's also impersonal, and you don't really have a chance to examine the goods before you buy them. Can you trust the delivery date? Can you return the product if it's not as expected?
Those are just some of the thoughts to entertain before deciding where to spend your money.
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Naturally, we would like to see you shop as often as possible in your local community.
And here's why:
-- By shopping local, you're supporting your neighbors. The local business owner lives down the block, pays municipal and school taxes, coaches your kids' soccer or softball team. They pay for music lessons for their kids, health club dues and cable bills, and eat in local restaurants. They hire local workers. Taken together, that's quite a list of bonuses attached to every dollar you spend locally.
-- Buying locally supports a stronger tax base for your community. Those taxes support fire and police protection, public schools, streets and parks, recreation programs and other municipal services.
-- It's a logical assumption that communities supporting local business will attract customers from communities that don't. If your local shops and restaurants are robust and vibrant, visitors will want to shop and dine at them.
-- If your community supports local businesses, other entrepreneurs will decide it's a good place to do business. Next thing you know, new businesses are sprouting up.
-- The money spent at a local business helps business owners make donations to local youth organizations, non-profits, and special community events.
In other words, shopping local is the proverbial win-win for any community. Shop local and it's a good bet you'll complete that Christmas shopping list with time to spare.
