Every business owner is looking for ways to ‘earn’ your hard earned money by offering products or services that we need, want or desire. As a consumer of these offerings, it’s important now more than ever, to investigate who you are giving your money.
Buying local is great because you know the tax dollars stay in that city. Those monies can be used for local improvements for future benefit. That means local jobs are created likely from someone who lives in your community. Which strengthens your local economy, enriching the lives of those in your community.
That’s not the only benefit of buying local. By diversifying the dollars you also level the playing field of competition. This gives us all more options. The greatest attribute of a capitalist society is the effervescent flow of options available. Competition brings down the cost. And since there can only be one brand that is the cheapest in any market, that means there are a variety of other available choices to select from.
Creating that level of competition in an environment can beget fierce and immoral business decisions because it’s our wealth and livelihoods at stake. But at the end of the day consumers want what is best for them. Typically, as a customer, that means the most convenient, best quality, for the lowest price.
But, if customers stick together, change can evolve. Customers don’t even realize our collective power. We could shut down the McDonalds, the Starbucks, the Wal-Marts even the googles of the world – and get this – demand more. If you need any proof, just look at how much McDonalds food menu has changed in the past two decades. They change their menu when their anticipated Market Share is lower than expected.
If you don’t like that the person making your iPhone could have jumped from the building and committed suicide then switch your phone. If you don’t like that Starbucks is using children to pick your coffee beans (even if it is easier for them to pick) then switch your coffee brand (preferably to local). If you don’t like that one of the richest men in America has a lack of philanthropy dollars, then stop your Amazon Prime account. If we all do that, entrepreneurs will create a better atmosphere because they’ll have no choice.
Buy local. Shopping at franchises just gives money to the rich person who had enough money to franchise a popular place. Help create the next Pizza Hut story of Wichita or Coca-Cola of Atlanta. In doing so, all of our lives become enriched with better choices to choose from.
Where and how every one of us spends our money matters and it dictates our future.
In closing, research, research research the companies where you spend money. How they treat their employees, how much does leadership make, who are their investors are the questions you should start to ask yourself. Then tap in to questions like what is this company’s ecological foot print, do they give back to the community, do they outsource, are they a marginalized business owner? The answers you find will quickly make you forget about the few extra dollars you may pay by supporting local business and make you feel better about contributing your hard earned money because it can enhance your local communities livelihood.
