Do you think about who your hard-earned money goes to at the end of the day? Do you shop consciously? We don’t blame you if you don’t because you definitely aren’t alone. People have needs and would rather find the fastest way to satisfy them, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
That’s why mass-productions, fast fashion, and dropshipping companies are thriving as much as they are. As long as something fits within our budgets, it doesn’t really matter how good it is. But what if shopping wasn’t a mindless activity? What kind of impact would we have on our surroundings if we thought about who we wanted to support? We know the changes would be huge and would last for generations to come.
So, we want to lead by example and encourage you to follow in our footsteps as we teach you how and why you should support your local businesses.
Experience the New Kind of Shopping
The first way to support local businesses is, of course, to shop their products. We know what you might be thinking — smaller businesses are usually pricier or might not carry the items you need. But try seeing things from a different perspective because you get quality that will last you for years to come. And what if they don’t have what you need? Local businesses can usually accommodate you by customizing your orders.
But not only are you getting a high-quality product, you’re also experiencing what exceptional customer service should look like. You’re interacting with the people that care about making their customers happy. Why? Because you’re choosing to support them in ways that matter. That will only make their business boom, and trust us when we say that they’ll know how to show appreciation.
Spreading the Word
Spending money on items you don’t need just so you could support a local business isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and we get that. Whether you’re living on a budget or not, it’s your right to decide who your hard-earned money goes to. So, if you can’t or don’t want to support local businesses through shopping, there’s no need to feel bad. Why? Because there’s still plenty you can do.
One of the best ways for businesses to gain a larger customer base is through marketing. But we’re not encouraging you to go around and fake your experiences just so you could support a business. Instead, if you’ve had experience with any local business and it was positive, ensure you let people know.
How can you do that? Recommend the business to your friends and family or even post about your experience on social media. Finally, don’t hesitate to leave them a positive review on any platforms you can because how do people decide to support a business? By reading good reviews left by happy customers, of course!
Volunteer
Now, if a business doesn’t sell items you desire but you have a burning passion to support them for whatever reason, you can still help them by volunteering time or money. Of course, it would be a little strange to just walk into a shop and offer owners some cash. But if your business of choice ever organizes a fundraiser, that’s the perfect opportunity for you to help.
Other than that, you can also offer your help. Volunteering means you can help them with all kinds of work, and you never know what a business needs. That is especially the case if they’re short-staffed at the moment or simply need someone to put up some flyers around town. Since you can’t know what a business needs, the best way to find out is by asking.
Why Support Local Businesses?
We’ve discussed ways in which you can help, but let’s talk about why you should do that. People usually don’t think about the kind of impact they can have on a business and their surroundings if they just choose to show support
So, here’s why you should support local businesses:
- Environmental impact
- Local and global economic boost
- Indirect support to the US workforce
- Direct support to your local community
Not to mention, local businesses love to give back. That’s right, they’ll show appreciation by volunteering their time and money to help local communities flourish. And that’s the kind of impact you can have on your community that will last for generations to come.
But How to Spot True Locals?
Spotting local businesses should be an easy task, right? Let’s think about that — what makes a business truly local? In our option, every segment of their business needs to be USA-made. Yes, everything from the kind of supplies they use to the workforce they hire. Why are we so passionate about this? We want to ensure everything is USA-Made because we understand the impact that comes with supporting local businesses.
That’s why our founder came up with the USA Strong Verification system that helps us spot true locals. Brands have a transparency issue, but most aren’t even aware of that. That’s why brands that go through the verification process have to volunteer their business information. Of course, we’re not asking them for things that should stay private but for info that will prove they’re truly USA-made.
Then we store that information on our STRONG Blockchain and keep it safe. Of course, we’re not just keeping it safe, oh no. You, the customer, have the chance and the right to read through the info whenever you want. We want you to trust us that verified brands are trustworthy, but we don’t have a problem letting you see things for yourself.
That’s the best way to build trust between a business and a customer base. And why is that important? Because we want your support to go to true local businesses and nobody else. If you don’t have the time to comb through information, look for brands with the Verified Badge on our website and know they’re local and trustworthy.