By Alexandra Tesoro | February 15th, 2021

One of the main reasons why I started a blog was to share the importance of shopping small businesses and supporting your local companies. This is a subject that I have become very passionate about. The more I educated myself and researched about this subject, the more I felt the need to share this knowledge with others.

Here are just a few of many reasons why shopping small and local is important to me, and why it should be important to you too.

1. Strengthens the local economy

Choosing to spend your money locally means more of your money stays in your local economy and aids in the development of small businesses. Due to the global pandemic, it has become even more crucial to help the businesses in your community stay afloat. The development of small businesses creates more job opportunities in your city or town. When you purchase from your favourite small businesses, they are able to invest a lot more money into new products and services for YOU!

2. Environmental impact

When goods are produced locally, there is less transportation involved in getting them from the supplier into the hands of the consumer. This means there are less fossil fuels being burned, which decreases the pollution in our environment. When there is less transportation, there is also a lot less packaging involved, which reduces waste significantly.

3. Builds a community and creates real connections

We can make real connections with business owners in our area and build relationships with each other. It’s such a great feeling being connected to the people around us, especially right now when we have to be so socially distant. So be involved with the businesses in your area! This can even be achieved with something simple like following their social media accounts.

4. Creates uniqueness and builds brand identity for your community

Our local businesses build character to our communities and helps diversify us from other places. The unique shops and companies are a big part of who we are as a community and city. It's important to embrace this and be proud of what our home has to offer.

Now more than ever is it so important to try to support our small local businesses. This pandemic has been challenging and it has affected everybody in one way or another. There are several other reasons why you should shop small and local, so I encourage everyone to do their research and share the importance with others. Let's be there for one another, our communities, and our small businesses!

Alexandra Tesoro Okanagan Lifestyle Blogger | @alexandra.in.bc

photo by Thom Bradle