Heading into the holiday season (that appears to have started shortly after Labor Day this year) ads trumpet “Black Friday” deals and big-box stores open not only on Thanksgiving but early Thanksgiving morning. This year, as you plan your shopping list, pause for a moment. What if each dollar you spent not only bought a gift, but also created a new job in our community, supported Circle of Hope, the Homeless minstry, repaired a road, paid the hospital bond, supported the football team? It can, and it’s easy. Simply pledge to buy all your gifts in Habersham County, with local small businesses. Instead of rushing down to battle traffic and parking and crowds to buy from big box retailers things that are made overseas, stay home. Stay home and shop with your neighbors and give your community a gift.
There are a myraid of studies that have examined the economic impact of shopping locally and shopping small. For each $1 spent in our community, $.52 comes back to us. For each $1 spent with a big box, chain store, only $.14 comes back to the community. If you spend $1 at a local restaurant, the impact is even greater, $.79 comes back versus $.30 with a chain. If you shift 10% of your annual shopping back to local, small business, you could help create more than 100 new jobs and add more than $14 million to the tax base of Habersham county.
Think about it this way, the next time your child’s school has a festival or fundraiser, where do most of those donations come from? Local businesses. After you ask local businesses for donations and to buy ads in your programs and yearbooks do you shop with them? Yes, major retail stores in our county do make donations locally but outside corporate donations are limited. Compare outside corporate giving to what Fieldale, the Copper Pot or Haberhsam Hardware donate? These local businesses donate thousands of dollars more per year.
We know that not everything you are looking to buy can be bought locally. That’s understandable. We simply encourage you to “think outside the box” before you head out of town to shop.
We also know that all of us need a little help thinking of that perfect gift. NowHabersham is here to help! On our Facebook page and on our web page we have a special section where you can post your best gift ideas. They must be purchased or made in Habersham County and we will continually update the list through Christmas Eve. It’s called “The Best Gift is…..”
So this year, let’s all give our community a gift. Shop local, shop small throughout the holiday season and then, make it a habit. That will be the best gift of all for all of us.
