Individuals looking for everything from clothing to home improvement services to offi ce supplies can look to small businesses to fi ll those needs. Metro Creative Connection
COURIER LIFE, NOV. 27-DEC. 3, 2020 19
The importance of shopping
locally has been emphasized
with increasing urgency in
recent years. Events like Small
Business Saturday and Plaid Friday
have brought some muchneeded
attention to the importance
of shopping local, which is
even more crucial now as so many
small businesses try to survive the
pandemic.
A poll from the trade group the
National Federation of Independent
Business reported that about
half of all the businesses in the
survey reported a 25 percent drop
in sales since the outbreak of the
COVID-19 virus, and roughly one
in fi ve businesses have seen sales
decline by more than 50 percent. If
the economic climate does not radically
improve, 20 percent of small
businesses won’t survive.
According to NBC News, small
businesses employ 60 million people
in the United States, almost
half of the nation’s private-sector
employees. In addition, small
businesses generate tax revenues
that help communities by funding
schools, maintaining parks
and contributing to public safety
programs. However, based on research
from the Federal Reserve
Bank of New York, even before
COVID-19 spread across the world,
only 20 percent of healthy small
businesses had suffi cient cash reserves
to continue to operate if
they experienced a revenue loss for
two months. Some have been shuttered
for much longer.
Individuals looking for everything
from clothing to home improvement
services to offi ce supplies
can look to small businesses
to fi ll those needs.
• Look for small businesses for
any and all of your shopping needs.
Chances are items sold by big box
retailers also are sold by small
businesses. When the options are
the same or similar, purchase from
a small business instead of its big
box competitor.
• Readily provide recommendations
of small businesses with
which you have done business. Too
often people are quick to complain
about places that have failed them,
but those same people don’t think
to say kind words about companies
that went above and beyond. Share
great experiences on social media
or through word of mouth.
• Talk to small businesses owners
fi rst if you have an issue. It’s
tempting to go directly to social
media to complain about something,
but such complaints can
have a dire impact. Always take
issues to the manager or business
owner fi rst to see if a resolution
can be reached. A manager may
not be aware of an issue at all. Give
small businesses a chance to make
it right before taking things public.
• If you own a small business,
rely on other small businesses to
fulfi ll your needs. Order supplies
from fellow small business owners,
seek the help of local fi nancial
advisors and tax professionals and
use local suppliers and delivery
personnel.
Small businesses have experienced
unprecedented setbacks due
to COVID-19. By supporting small
businesses, communities can help
them regain stable footing.
— Metro Creative Connection
SHOP LOCAL
Here’s why shopping local is
more crucial than ever