North Iowa Reporter

City of Clear Lake recently issued the following announcement.

Image by robanderson72 from Pixabay

BY: RACHEL WUMKES

For this week’s rendition of my “Feel Good Friday” blog post, I decided to change things up a bit.  Stir the pot, so to speak.

Earlier this week, someone asked me the best place to buy an item.  I chimed in, answering how you could find said item at such-and-such store right here in Clear Lake.  Then I blathered on about how wonderful it would be to shop local, as I tend to do sometimes.

The person quickly replied, “Oh, they have plenty of money already.”

To be honest, I was kind of shocked.

I mean, some thoughts are meant to be kept to yourself, right?

So, I thought, maybe today would be an opportunity to explain how shopping local can benefit not only the business owner, but you.

Who, me?

Yup, you!

In my countless hours of scouring the internet for information and such to use in our visitor guide, I came across this little gem at www.independentwestand.org about shopping local.

I know we preach and preach and preach, especially this time of year, about shopping the small businesses in town.  Especially in this odd time of our lives, with a pandemic raging all around us, it has been a tough go for a lot of people.

Every sale feels like winning the grand prize at the State Fair.  It gives hope, provides a break from the stress and worry that weigh on business owners, and helps put food on the table for their family.

So, what actually happens when you shop local?

1. More of your money will be kept in your local economy
   1. For ever $100 spent at a locally owned business, $68 of it stays in the community. That’s incredible.  Especially when you learn that if you spend that same amount at a big-box, national chain store, only $43 stays in the community.  That’s a big difference, folks!
2. You embrace what makes your community unique
   1. This is a doozy for us Clear Lakers. Every little part of this community is what makes us unique as a whole.  Imagine if all these tourists came to vacation at our lake in the summer, but there was nowhere for them to eat?  Would they still come?  Or would they shop somewhere else if we didn’t have such a plethora of retail possibilities for them to choose from?
3. You create local jobs
   1. This doesn’t just apply to the opening of a store and the fact they hire workers. More people in our community means more teachers, more police officers, more childcare providers.  New jobs are essential to a thriving community.
4. You help the environment
   1. This one is simple. Less travel, less transport, less packaging and materials to ship items across the country.
5. You nurture community
   1. Remember that one time your kids’ baseball team needed new shirts? It was more than likely a local business who donated the money.  The bank uptown, or chiropractor, or grocery store.  They are the ones who support the youth in our community.  Sure, chain stores give back, too, but most of the time it’s on a national level and won’t affect you directly.
6. You conserve your tax dollars
   1. Spending money locally ensures your sales taxes are reinvested where they belong. In the school your kids attend.  In the roads you drive on.  In YOUR community which benefits you immensely.
7. You create more choice
   1. Local businesses choose to sell the products they know you’ll love, because they know the shoppers on a personal level. They carry unique products on the shelves just for you, their favorite consumer.
8. You took advantage of their expertise
   1. When your friend decided to open that specialty store or restaurant/bar, they did it because they are experts in that field. They want you to have the best possible experience in their store and you should take advantage of that personalized service.
9. You invested in entrepreneurship
   1. The American economy is founded on creativity and entrepreneurship. Everyone had to start somewhere, right?  Maybe your local brewer started making just a few batches of beer every week but now his craft beer sits on shelves across the Midwest.  It’s the American dream, right?  But it all started with an idea.
10. You made your community a destination
    1. It’s no secret the lake is our biggest draw for tourists. However, I’ve been known to hear of instances where people drove for hours to enjoy a sandwich from Starboard Market.  Or to pick up their meat order from Louie himself.  I’m sure there are dozens of other stories just like those!

In a nutshell, friends, the more we attract new neighbors, visitors and guests to our beautiful Midwest destination, the bigger the benefit for everyone who lives here.  You might not be the business owner taking the deposit to the bank at the end of the week, but there’s still something (a lot of things, actually) in it for you.

So please, shop local.  Buy local.  Keep your dollars local.

For local gift ideas this holiday season, be sure to follow the group Shop Local Clear Lake.

It’s for the greater good of our whole community!

 #MyClearLake, Chamber Blog

Original source: https://clearlakeiowa.com/blogs/chamber-blog/the-impact-of-shopping-local/