The foundation of a healthy nation is a strong economy. When most of your population is employed and financially secure, it is more likely to invest in the community, support charitable causes and contribute in more meaningful ways. In difficult times and during a recession, it is crucial to find ways to boost the economy and help the community where ever you can.
1. Shop from Local Grocers
Instead of buying from national chains, shop from local grocers instead. Buying from farmer's markets is even better. Farmer's markets ensure quality and freshness as they don't use chemicals or insecticides on their crops. The cattle and poultry are free-range and not pumped with hormones or antibiotics to plump them up artificially.
Farmer's market owners are also friendlier and need to develop good relations with their customers to build a strong clientele to answer all your questions and ensure customer satisfaction.
2. Shop from Small Businesses
Small businesses offer almost every product you can find in the national market and malls. Switch to local shops for clothes, crafts, home décor items, and even switch to local restaurants and cafes. Due to higher prices, if you can't budget for shopping for local products and services, you can set aside a certain amount every month just for local shopping.
You may even shop from local markets when you have to gift people on their birthdays or send holiday gifts.
3. Support Local Community Events
Communities organize many local events to gain support and introduce new start-ups. By buying tickets to events like food festivals, farmer's markets, art fairs, and carnivals, you can help the community and show support. Spread the word, make donations, and encourage more community events in the future.
4. Attend Local Concerts
Many talented local musicians and bands lost out during the covid-19 pandemic due to bans on crowded places and canceling concerts, meets and greets, and music festivals. Find out which local artists took bad hits during this time and help organize concerts where they can play or buy tickets when they are performing and help spread the word.
5. Help Fund Local Initiatives
Many businesses haven't been able to launch due to a lack of funds in your local community. Help fund their cause and help boost entrepreneurship in your community.
6. Hire Locally
If you need to hire people for a job or your own small business, look around your community and try to hire people from within the community.
7. Bank Locally
Instead of banking with large national banks, consider banking locally at local community banks or credit unions. The advantage of doing that is that you get better service, but it also costs you lower for the same services that national banks offer. Local banks provide most of their loans to small business start-ups, which helps build communities and contribute to the overall economy.
8. Leave Positive Reviews and Advertise the Local Market
When you have a good experience shopping at a local store or shopping for a local service, always leave a positive review online or talk about it at social gatherings. Personal experiences and word of mouth are the highest forms of marketing and help shift consumers ' buying power towards local markets.
Help positively impact your local economy now and give back to your community. Local Services Network can help you connect with local businesses and service providers in your city.
