With the festive season well underway, and black Friday nearly here, many are buying their loved one’s Christmas presents.
Its very easy at this time of the year to be putting your head down and ploughing through the huge list of festive tasks that many of us face, but take a step back this year and approach Christmas from a different perspective.
Why not do something different this year and support our small businesses instead of the big players on your high street.
You can do this by purchasing your Christmas presents from them. If you look around, in high streets near you, and online, you will be amazed at the sheer number of them and the products/services they can provide.
Small businesses are the backbone of the UK and deserve to have a spotlight shone on them this Christmas time.
There are so many benefits for supporting small businesses, they include:
Supporting and powering your local economy
Research shows that for every £10 spent in a small business, an additional £50 goes back into the local economy via the small business. This circulates your money where it can benefit you further – strong pubs, high streets, charity projects and community projects.
Creating local jobs in your region or area
Its no surprise that shopping in local businesses creates local jobs for local people. Small businesses are actually the biggest employers nationally and are proven to pay a higher wage than their large chain competitors.
Better paid jobs, and more jobs being available is a win win for you and your family.
Spreading the Christmas Cheer
Due to the lower stress environment found in small businesses, you are actually more likely to find more Christmas cheer and a far more enjoyable Christmas shopping experience when compared with the larger high street stores.
Small businesses are also much more likely to adapt and adjust their stock based on their customer’s demands and preferences. This means that you are more likely to find the gift you want instead of the gift that the larger business is telling you to buy.
Eco-Friendly Option
Shopping in small local businesses can help you make a positive impact on your local environment.
These small local shops are far more likely to use non-plastic bags and wrapping for their products. You are also less likely to produce as much air pollution thanks to not needing to drive out to the large shopping centres.
If you are buying online, then think about the air-miles for the product that you are buying. A high street store might be buying their women’s scarves in bulk from China, whilst your small business might be buying their women’s scarves from a local woollen mill and weaver.
Give Small Business Owners Support this Christmas
There might be certain Christmas presents that you simply cannot purchase from a small business – for example, if your daughter has her heart set on a particular jumper from River Island, then we aren’t suggesting that you disappoint her on Christmas day.
Even if you aren’t unable to buy all of your Christmas presents from small businesses, a select few is still something.
On top of this, you can support your small business owners without spending a penny. If you know a small business and love what they do, but have no need for their products/services at the moment. Then why not like their social page or share their social posts to your friends on social media.
This kind of support is invaluable to small businesses, it helps them get their offerings out there and connects them to further potential customers who may not know they were there otherwise.
So spread a little cheer this Christmas and support small businesses.
Don’t forget – its Small Business Saturday on the 1st of December 2018. No excuses!
Published: 20th Nov 2018