By KAREN LAGRANGE COX
You’ve probably seen or heard various promotions urging you to shop locally and hire local companies – but have you ever thought why this might be important? One of the biggest reasons is that it stimulates the local economy and community. Think about this: If you have a business and buy locally, that puts money in the pockets of people in your community – so they, in turn, will be able to shop at your business.
One of the main reasons why people and businesses don’t always shop locally is to save money. It might cost less to buy something online, but you’re actually paying a price in other ways. That’s because you are actually hurting the local economy – and as a result, people in the community will have less money to purchase your products and services.
Hiring locally is also of great importance to the well-being of the community. As mentioned before, hiring local companies (and local employees) stimulates the economy. In addition, hiring outside of the community exposes you to a number of risks. Local people make the best employees because they have a better understanding of your business and are invested in helping your company to succeed. Likewise, hiring a local business means that you will get better service and higher quality work because they are concerned about their reputation in the community.
Another factor in buying locally is that you know where to go if there are any problems. Being able to physically visit a business will help ensure that your problem is taken care of quickly. The same can’t be said if you have a problem with products or services provided by someone located half way across the country.
The bottom line is that buying and hiring locally just makes good sense – both for your own business and the community as a whole. Even if it ends up costing you a little more money up front, the long-term benefits to the local community (and your own business) are well worth it.
