Why Buy from Local Small Businesses

Buying from a local small businesses has real benefits, aside from making you feel good. When you buy from LocalWe you are aligning your spending with these benefits and ultimately your values.

Create Jobs

Local small businesses are a major employer. The money from your purchases supports their existing employees and can lead to job advancement, increased wages and additional hiring.

Your Money Stays in the Community

The money you spend on products from these local small businesses goes to pay employee salaries, rent and other expenses and creates profits. Much of that money in turn gets spent back in the community. It also increases the tax base and supports community services like police, fire and schools.

When you buy from large national, international or big chain businesses, at least a portion of your money will likely get redistributed outside of the community. In fact, when these businesses come into an area, the community may see a net reduction of employment and tax revenues.

Charitable Contributions

Local small businesses tend to contribute to charities at a higher rate than the big guys do and they tend to give to local organizations that benefit community causes.

Less Environmental Impact

The big guys make a massive detrimental impact on the environment through the transportation of materials sourced globally, huge factories, huge warehouses and retail stores and the transportation of their products. All of that uses energy. Local small businesses tend to operate and source materials locally, reducing their environmental impact.

Better Customer Service

Local small businesses place a higher value on each individual customer. When you buy from them you’re not just a number or a statistic like with the big guys. The businesses actually care about you.

Promote Entrepreneurship

A strong demand for products that are made by local small businesses encourages entrepreneurs to get out there and give a new business a go. They then hire employees, money goes back into the community, etc.

We know these are your values because you are here. We hope that you will support these important benefits by buying through LocalWe.com and spreading the word to your friends.

These benefits are discussed in a paper entitled “Why buy Local? An Assessment of the Economic Advantages of Shopping at Locally Owned Businesses” published by the Michigan State University Center for Community and Economic Development.