⚡ Get All Content for 20% Off ⚡

Hey, Small-Business Owner: Do You Shop Local? If you want consumers to shop local, encourage them by shopping locally for your own business.

By Carol Tice

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Hey, Small-Business Owner: Do You Shop Local?If you've been trying to keep shoppers loyal to your small business and out of the big chain stores, you're not alone. Small retailers have been trying to harness the "shop local" movement to hang onto their customers.

But here's a question for every business owner out promoting the advantages of dealing with local merchants: Do you walk that talk?

As I listen to the endless drumbeat of objections to how the big companies operate -- most recently, the flap over Amazon's price-checking app over the holidays -- I wonder how many small-business owners apply their shop-local philosophy to themselves?

Behind the curtain at your store or home business, where do you shop?

Do you use an independent shipping firm to truck your goods? Buy your office supplies from a small independent, or maybe at Staples?

Are you featuring products from small, local manufacturers, or do you buy in bulk from giant corporations?

In my town, I've watched store after store that tries to get by purchasing items in bulk from Costco or other big chains and then reselling them. Inevitably, they go bust. Why? Besides being more expensive, you're not differentiated enough. You're selling the same old stuff. You can bust out of that rut and stock products that are less easily price-compared by investigating local suppliers instead.

One way local businesses can get some real buzz going is to buy local themselves, and to feature how they buy local in their marketing. Several restaurants I patronize do a great job of this, with menus describing the locally raised beef and produce they're using in their dishes, down to what farm it's from.

That's a powerful way to attract shop-local oriented consumers and give them a more compelling reason to visit you. It also lets small businesses support each other directly, and can help build new relationships for marketing.

How often do you shop local for your business? Leave a comment and let us know.

Carol Tice

Owner of Make a Living Writing

Longtime Seattle business writer Carol Tice has written for Entrepreneur, Forbes, Delta Sky and many more. She writes the award-winning Make a Living Writing blog. Her new ebook for Oberlo is Crowdfunding for Entrepreneurs.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Remote Side Hustle a 43-Year-Old Musician Works on for 1 Hour a Day Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month: 'All From the Comfort of Home'

Sam Ziegler wanted to supplement his income as a professional drummer — then his tech skills and desire to help people came together.

Marketing

Ever Wonder Why Certain Websites Rank Higher Than Yours? This SEO Expert Reveals The Secret to Dominating Search Results

It's often the smart use of SEO, now supercharged with AI, particularly in keyword optimization.

Leadership

Former Interrogator Shares 5 Behaviors Liars Exhibit and How to Handle Them

Five deceptive behaviors to look for and how to respond to those behaviors when you encounter them.

Business News

AI Is Impacting Jobs. Here Are the Gigs Affected the Most, According to an Analysis of 5 Million Upwork Postings

The researcher said in the report that freelance jobs were analyzed first because that market will likely see AI's immediate impact.

Business Ideas

55 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.