The importance of shopping small business right now

Due to COVID-19, the current state of the country is unprecedented—and, admittedly, a little scary. Restaurants, bars and other shops are temporarily closed or operating with speciality hours and fulfillment methods. As more and more people practice social distancing, it’s small businesses that will feel the biggest impact. That’s why it’s more important than ever to shop small and support local businesses in your area, like Early Express. 

Here are five reasons to shop small businesses during this challenging time: 

You can help improve the local economy 

When you shop local, significantly more money stays in the community. In fact, one study found that for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 remained in the city, and that number is significantly lower for chain retailers. When purchasing supplies, local business owners are often more likely to support other local businesses whereas chain retailers, on the other hand, tend to get their supplies from their corporate offices. 

You get to know the people behind the product 

When you’re buying local products and services, there’s a good chance you’ll get to know the people behind the business personally. As a community, you celebrate when a local restaurant succeeds or mourn if your favorite bar is forced to shut its doors. This type of personal investment isn’t as present when a larger corporation is involved, because that connection is missing.

You keep your community unique 

Local businesses are what give communities flavor. The same chain restaurants, grocery stores and shops can be found at hundreds of cities around the country. But unique, local places—that diner down the street where you eat breakfast every Saturday or the small market on the corner where you always buy fresh bread—are one-of-a-kind. It’s these types of businesses that make a town different from any other. By supporting those businesses instead of chains, you ensure that uniqueness is preserved as a part of your community.

You receive more personalized customer service 

Trying to get in touch with a customer service representative at a large corporation can be a nightmare. Once you’re able to get connected, it can be difficult to get any sympathy from the customer service representative—that person is so far removed from the decision-making process, there’s little concern that the company will lose you as a customer. 

However, at local businesses, the owner is typically connected to every employee that works at this store and has a higher standard for customer service. This means that if you have a problem, it is taken more seriously and approached with a more personal touch. 

You help create jobs 

Local businesses have to hire staff to support their operations. Most likely, those people are part of the community—they could be your friends or your neighbors. Supporting local businesses helps create those needs and those jobs for people in your community. 

Now more than ever, it’s important to shop local. Early Express is proud to be a family business in Dayton, Ohio. Founded in 1977 as a mail delivery business, Early Express now offers local printing services along with end-to-end direct marketing solutions. We are honored to support local businesses in the Dayton area and help small businesses with their marketing needs. During this challenging time, we appreciate any and all support from our Dayton community.