If I were to offer you the choice between a slice of hot homemade pie or a pre-packaged and microwaved piece purchased at the local gas station, I am fairly confident you would choose the homemade pie. Without even asking a lot of questions, you would select the locally made pie. You would know that the homemade pie is going to be fresher, and of higher quality, and thus the better choice for you.
Why is that? Why do we assume that the hot homemade pie is the better choice? In order to give a truthful answer, we need to first look a little deeper.
Provincial Campaign
On November 20, 2019, the Manitoba government launched a campaign to encourage people to spend their money at local businesses. We are not in a trade war with our global neighbors, so why would this be a recommended campaign? Particularly in the midst of Covid-19 when in-person contact should be limited.
Oh, I am sure that the government has some socio-economic or environmental rationale for this. After all, studies have shown that when we utilize locally owned businesses rather than nationally or internationally owned, more money is kept in the community and helps to grow other local businesses. This is partially because locally-owned businesses often utilize other local businesses.
In addition, utilizing local businesses grows your local tax base. In fact, those same studies show that for every $100 spent at a local business $68 stays in your local community as opposed to the mere $43 that stays when utilizing a non-local business.
Perhaps their rationale was to create more local jobs. Local businesses employ local people. In fact, most new jobs are provided by local businesses. Small local businesses are the largest employers nationally.
Possibly it was also for environmental reasons. Supporting local businesses has been shown to have a positive environmental impact on a community. The more jobs you have in your local community the less people that are going to have to travel which means less travel-related pollution.
While all that may sound interesting to an economics professor, most of us don’t really take an interest in such matters. Yet, we keep hearing more and more from those around us “remember to support local”.
Support Local
When our friends and family remind us to support local, our mind doesn’t generally go to the socioeconomic or environmental benefits. We don’t even question the rationale for such a statement. Instead, it inherently rings as the right thing to do.
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why? Why is there an innate desire to support local?
Like hot homemade pie, we anticipate the local business will offer greater quality and be better for us. We anticipate a local business will be more caring, understanding and ensure to provide greater excellence.
After all local businesses are owned and operated by your neighbors who employ fellow neighbors. People who actually live in the community! We are friendly Manitoba, we love to help a neighbor! But is that the whole reason?
Shopping where you live can have a huge impact on local businesses. It will ensure the financial health of your community.
What’s in It for Us?
We may be friendly, but we can’t help but wonder, “What’s in it for us?”
Firstly, we know that to a local business, we matter more. When buying a pair of runners, that may not be a big deal, but when requiring help with financial difficulties it becomes very important.
Local businesses more closely feel the impact of “voting with your wallet.” As such. your values and desires are much more influential to your local business than the large national or international firm. Economic changes hit small businesses harder. In such a volatile environment, smaller, local businesses count on your patronage in order to stay afloat; every transaction becomes precious to them.
Also, local businesses offer the added benefit of meeting you face to face. Again when shopping for tires, meeting the manufacturer is not all that important. But if you are struggling to get your business back on track or hoping to get help with harassing creditors, a friendly face is very much appreciated.
You can also learn a lot about a business by visiting their establishment. A local business can offer you this. You gain so much more by visiting the local business to discuss your specific needs. When discussing sensitive financial issues, you require a high level of trust. You like to see what type of establishment you are really dealing with before divulging personal information.
Local employees provide the added benefit of better customer service. They live in the community and understand your environment. Discussing things with local people goes a long way toward easing your confidence in a company’s abilities.
Is Local Affordable?
There is a misconception that using a local business will automatically cost you more. We assume that all things produced locally will cost more. While that may be true for some manufacturing services, it is generally not true in the Service industry. In fact, local service providers are often MORE AFFORDABLE.
If you are looking for someone to help you reorganize your small business, deal with overwhelming tax debt, or assistance to get your finances back on track, a local Licensed Insolvency Trustee will be more cost-effective.
Instinct
Our instincts were correct in choosing the hot homemade pie over the plastic replica from the gas bar. Just as they were correct in wanting to support local businesses. We intuitively know it is the better choice. We know that something produced locally will generally be of higher quality and better suited to our needs and wants.
Is that enough?
If we are truly serious about our choices, choosing local, or in the case of pie, homemade, should not be where our search ends.
Best Decision
Local businesses that are not great at what they do, do not stay in business for all that long. People struggling with financial difficulties have been trusting LCTaylor for over 40 years during which they have built a reputation for providing innovative, respectful, and honest professional advice to people struggling with debt. They understand that dealing with financial difficulties is one of the most stressful life events you may endure.
Local businesses without a great reputation, eventually fade away. Word of mouth can sometimes make or break a local business. At LCTaylor, we employ caring professionals that understand your unique situation and are able to operate at a high level of expertise. The vast majority of people we meet with have been referred by others who have benefited from our assistance.
In conclusion; hot homemade pie is far superior to the pre-packaged one sold at the local gas bar. But if you truly want the best value and quality, ensure you are seeking out not only something local, but something that comes with experience, knowledge, and a great reputation, like LCTaylor, Licensed Insolvency Trustee. If you could use some good local advice about dealing with debt, check out our website at LCTaylor.com, give us a call at 204-925-6400, or send an email to questions@lctaylor.net.
Bonnie Hooley, LIT
