Why Should You Be Supporting Small Local Businesses?
#JayaOneCares — extending our support to local businesses to navigate through COVID-19
Through the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve all seen the enthusiasm around the recent #SupportSmall campaign. We’ve seen how friends encourage one another to buy from independent businesses. With all this fear mongering, there is also care mongering.
“Buy local, eat local, go local, show support to small businesses you care.” Sometimes buying locally can be difficult — whether in price, availability, or convenience. Still, choosing local community businesses can actually be worthwhile, and even worth advocating.
By supporting local businesses, there’s more to it than helping the local community, it supports you too. Check out these reasons why going local helps you in the long run.
1. Strengthen the local economy
Spending your money in the community helps to stimulate the local economy and keep business booming within your local region. The money you spent is going right back into the community you live and work in, helping to build a vibrant and healthy ecosystem for you and your family.
Small businesses often give back to the community in other ways, whether participating in fundraisers and holding special events to show their appreciation. When small businesses are strong, the community and local economy are strengthened as well.
2. Create more jobs
Small businesses are the engine of job creation — not only is your local economy strengthened when you shop locally, but you also help to create more jobs.
These jobs could go to your friends, family, or neighbors — people who would probably experience much more competition at a large chain store. Or, these jobs could go to you, just from doing your part to support the community.
3. Reduce environmental footprint
Locally owned businesses often make more local purchases for their products, requiring less transportation and outsourcing. As small local businesses are typically clustered near residential areas, it may reduce automobile use and traffic congestion, resulting in better air quality and less urban sprawl.
While this may not impact you immediately, it can definitely manifest environmental benefits for your children and grandchildren in the future.
We can see such practice from Pop by Jaya One, housing a multitude of vendors with unique fashion pieces, handmade goods, homemade jams, handcrafted planters, bespoke sportswear — brought to you by Malaysian entrepreneurs!
4. Increase the tax base
When local residents shop at small businesses within their communities, the taxes they pay stay within the local economy, helping to improve their own lives as a result. Besides, local businesses tend to buy locally as well, pumping more of the profits from their economic activity back into the community compared to restaurant chains, sparking healthier economic development.
This means a greater percentage of local businesses helps to broaden the local tax revenue base, which can offset the revenue effects of lowering the tax rate, as compared to mega-companies.
5. Improve your health
When it comes to buying and choosing places to eat, local eateries are often the healthier choice for yourself and your family. Buying local foods have numerous health benefits, opening you up to the world of chemical-free, preservative-free fruits and vegetables, grass-fed meats, fresh eggs, and dairy products.
This means you and your family can enjoy a wholesome meal while supporting the local community and choosing the healthier option.
A good example would be Tedboy which prides itself on producing baked goods daily using only premium all-natural ingredients, with no preservatives and artificial flavoring; as well as Momochan, which provides healthy Japanese food with no MSG.
6. Encourage innovation and competition
Because it can be more difficult for small businesses to stay relevant, they constantly have to work on adding new products to their shelves and providing new benefits for their customers. This is a positive thing as it sparks healthy competition with their larger competitors.
It also encourages small companies to innovate, adding unique spins on the things they offer in order to keep customers returning. These one-of-a-kind, locally made products can attract customers to a community, bolstering the marketplace prosperity, and contributing to a uniquely local vibe.
One of the amazing, innovative local businesses we’ve seen is Menya Shi-Shi Do, constantly pushing boundaries to create local spins such as Chilli Padi Ramen, Mala Ramen, and Bak Kut Teh Ramen. Another shout out would be to Tommy Thongchai, crafting delicious Asian food with a Thai twist such as its Pad Kee Mao Spaghetti, Laarb Moo Tod Burger, and Stir-Fried Pumpkin And Sweet Basil Rice.
7. Provide personalized customer service
Small local businesses treasure the relationships they have with all of their customers. Because these small businesses need the support of local consumers, you can expect to get friendly, personal customer service. The staff of a smaller-sized business will typically be more readily available to answer detailed questions about the products and services they sell too.
It is also often that local business work on special memberships and discounts for its loyal customers who return to shop to compete with larger stores, so you could enjoy a more personalized treatment! This positive experience will keep you coming back, which is a win-win for everyone.
One great gesture we’ve seen is Doi Chaang which rewards their die-hard fans with monthly promotion throughout MCO; as well as Three Stooges, keeping customers coming back with unique offerings and excellent customer treatment.
The support of the community works both ways when it comes to buying from and owning a small business. Whether it’s aiding the economy now or building a better world for future generations, small businesses are valuable assets to the local community. But first, they need a little support too through tough times like these.
Let us all uphold the spirit of #KitaJagaKita, walk through this challenging phase together! Every purchase you make today helps local businesses to provide wages for their workers, keep the lights on, and put food on the table for their families.
