5 Compelling Reasons to Support Small Businesses

Anita Costa
Nov 1, 2021
2 min read

Where you spend your hard-earned money matters. And as the biggest shopping day of the year approaches, here are a few great reasons to consider supporting small, independently-owned businesses.

1. Support real people (not boards, stockholders & algorithms.)

When you patronize small businesses, you are supporting people who need it now more than ever. The pandemic has forced many of them to close their doors, many permanently, while big-box stores like Target, Walmart, Wayfair, Amazon, and Home Depot are making billions more in record profits. And when you shop at your local small businesses, you are helping your family, friends, neighbors, and your local economy. In fact, $68 of every $100 spent goes back into the community compared to $43 of every $100 spent at big-box stores.

2. More jobs for people in your community.

Small businesses account for 99.7% of all businesses and employ almost half (47.5%) of the nation's workforce. According to the Small Business Association (SBA), if consumers shifted just 10% of their business to local small organizations, they estimate that small business owners could create two out of every three net new jobs in the U.S.

More local jobs mean fewer people commuting to nearby towns for work, giving them more time with their families and less time on the road.

3. Your business matters.

In a world where 85% of customers spend more money with a company with excellent, consistent customer service and approximately 39% will never use a company again after just one poor customer service experience, every customer, and their satisfaction, is important. Small businesses often go above and beyond to provide exceptional, personalized customer service to earn and keep your business. According to Warren Buffet, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

4. Better for the environment.

Small businesses often produce their own products or source them locally on a small scale resulting in a smaller carbon footprint versus big-box chains that often import foreign-made products. Shopping locally creates fewer gas emissions, fuel consumption, and pollution.

5. It shows you care about your community.

Supporting small businesses in your community shows that you care and genuinely want to make a difference. You care about a strong, thriving local economy and supporting businesses that also care about the place you call "home."

Ways you can help small businesses: