5 Reasons to support small local business this Christmas

by Laura McIlveen November 14, 2020

1. You make an entrepreneur smile.

‘Tis the season to be jolly!’ Every single sale; be it big, small or in-between means a lot! Because it’s not just a sale, it’s someone believing in you and your work. It’s the encouragement to keep going. Every single sale keeps the dream alive. I remember reading a post online that said; when you buy from a small local business, someone does a happy dance. Just to confirm, this is absolutely true! It’s a source of endless joy to me, to see fellow small business owners doing their own wee happy dance when they make a sale. Your purchase means a lot.

2. You help your local area

Local small business is so incredibly important, not just to our economy but also to our towns and community. What would our town centre look like without our local businesses on Main Street? (And beyond!) How would it change the ‘feel’ of the area? Local business gives our town character and us choice. If you're looking for something unique and different, your local small business is the place to go.

3. Shopping experience

To me, there’s nothing quite like the local shopping experience! I absolutely love it! I love the local banter, I love hearing the random mutual connections. It’s one of the joys of having a business based in Northern Ireland – as they say, everyone here knows everyone! I love getting to know my customers by name, I love them popping in for a chat and hearing what they’ve been up to. That’s local small business.

4. It creates jobs locally

That local business needs workers! Your support makes that happen. That job wouldn’t exist without it. That job supports a local family, it buys the new school uniform, the groceries, the heat - it matters.

5. You help to keep the dream alive

This is kind of my second time mentioning this but it’s super important! The entrepreneur behind a business is someone who had a dream, someone who believed they could achieve it, someone who put their heart and soul into making it happen, who sacrificed, someone who worked every possible hour to make the dream a reality - I’ll not mention the sleepless nights! When you support a local business, you don’t just buy a product or a service, you encourage the person behind the business. You give them that confidence boost to keep going. You help them to keep their dream alive and that means the world.

Now more than ever, your favourite local businesses need you. There’s lots of ways you can support them. Shop local if you can, check out their website, give your favourite business a shout out on social media, grab a gift card! It all matters. This Christmas let’s support local business.

Author - Laura McIlveen. Laura is a local professional photographer, her shop is based in Makers House @ The Designerie, Bushmills. Laura’s focus is on landscape photography, as well as commercial / product photography. Passionate about local small business, her work includes getting quality visuals so a small business can compete online.