Last year at this time, I sent out an email talking about supporting local businesses during a tight economy. In many ways, our economy has come a LONG WAY since last year, and many small business owners are thankful. In New England last week, a very bad storm came through, and essentially stopped all holiday shopping for the weekend. The weekends between Thanksgiving and year-end are the bread and butter for small retailers. Having one weekend where all their customers stayed home is very, very bad for them. And so, I'm resending the essence of my "SHOP LOCAL" appeal from last year.
HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO
1) Shop Locally If there is any way that you can keep your holiday shopping in your hometown, please do so. Even if you have to go to the mall for certain items you can't find in town, please consider increasing the amount of your shopping dollars spent in local stores. You will be rewarded in the following ways:
a. Friendly Service Your local shopkeepers will cater to you hand and foot. Just try to get help with something at a large retailer during the next month!
b. Nicer Gifts If you want that "special something" for someone on your list, your local store will go out of their way to make sure it's unique and fits your needs.
c. Parking is Easy - Why go to the Mall and park a half-mile away? Yikes!!
d. Community You're actually taking care of your neighbors by doing your holiday shopping in town. Shopkeepers are local, and probably know the same people you do. When you open up a conversation with them, you'll see that you have much in common.
e. Where Does Your Money Go? Spend your holiday shopping at a large retailer, and your money ends up being a tiny percentage of the tiny dividend check that some stockholder will get next quarter. Shop locally, and your money just helped buy the shopkeeper's children something special (which they most likely bought locally). And on it goes.
2) Send This Email On If you think this makes sense, spend a minute passing it on to your friends and neighbors. Who knows, we may have a great impact on each of our local businesses this year. I've signed the bottom of this email, and when you send it on, make sure you put a note to your friends at the top. It makes it personal, and that's what this email is all about.
3) Talk It Up Make this a topic of conversation at dinner, and with friends.
I hope your holidays are very special for you, your family and friends. Let's also make it special for the folks in our hometowns.
Warmly,
Jerry Wistrom
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