WHAT’S THE IMPORTANCE OF SHOPPING LOCAL?
When you shop and spend at local small-businesses, you help a local business owner in multiple ways. Whether retail or one of any professional services, the cost of doing business in Castle Rock, Colorado has increased. The ‘cost of doing business’ has direct and indirect implications. Any business owner knows what these costs are. As everyone knows, the higher the cost of doing business, the higher the cost of retail goods, supplies, and services.
Increased costs of rents, leases, and mortgages are on the short list. Increased cost in remunerations, especially during this current atmosphere of a labor shortage, utilities, shipping and transport; well you get the point. Inflation is hitting and may possibly go higher. The holiday season is upon us and everyone looks for a bargain. What happens when you shop outside of our Castle Rock Community? We lose the money. Our business owners lose the money. Your favorite restaurants, stores, shops, and services are negatively impacted. Jobs are affected. If we all spent more locally, many business owners could afford to price their products and services to meet community expectations.
The Cost of Living in Castle Rock, Colorado; This Affects Everyone!
For me, as author of this article, shopping local means everything to a local business owner. I visit with business owners in our community on a regular basis. I often spend money where I visit, whether I need or can afford what I am spending my hard-earned money on. I believe in the principle, ‘When I give, I receive’ but not without a true purpose from the heart.
This is How I Understand the Issue
Growth and Development have their costs, especially in the realm of ‘supply and demand’. That said, growth and development are and should be key to a growing, local economy, providing more for our residents, hopefully bringing spending back to our local community. Not so long ago, Castle Rock residents often left town to shop and buy what they could not here. Responsible, economically balance growth is intended to support this local spending. When we have more, well, we have more. When the Town of Castle Rock leaders responsible for the direction of growth and development look to the future, the local business owner must be considered before the corporate or big box stores. They, the latter mentioned, can afford to adjust as they need, unless their landlord makes it too expensive to do business in Castle Rock.
When you shop and support local, you help a business owner prosper. When they prosper, they feel safe to invest. When they feel safe to invest they feel generous. They buy more to operate and build their business, they sell more by being able to promote the business and how you may save shopping at their place of business, they can afford to hire those qualified to help sale more and build their customer service reputation, and of course, they can pay their employees well.
When local business owners shop for supplies and services locally, and when local suppliers provide an affordable service for business owners, the monies tend to stay in the local economy, supporting our first responders, public works, parks & recreation, and we continue to enjoy an eventful community such as Castle Rock, Colorado. Unfortunately, not all local business owners have the luxury to support their business needs from local suppliers. Many are limited to outside suppliers due to the nature of the supply market. Tax dollars received from corporate and box stores are a large part of our towns income base, but this article is intended to keep focus on our local business owner. Do not forget.
As owner and administrator of the Castle Rock Local Business Alliance, I understand many of the complexities our local business owners deal with. As a local business owner advocate in our town, it is my pleasure, and responsibility, to speak up when needed. This is just another reason why the annual membership dues are kept at a reasonable rate, and all Alliance Ambassadors in the Castle Rock Local Business Alliance are ‘grandfathered’ in at their original annual cost. This article supporting the local business owner is just another way I seek to help keep our local business owners relevant among the corporate and big box stores in Castle Rock, Colorado.
Disclaimer: I base none of this article on facts or reports. I only speak from my experience, views, and understanding of our local economy and our local business owner needs. Support Local – Shop Local – Keep It Local!
See more about the Castle Rock Local Business Alliance
Article By: Gary Godfrey – Owner/Administrator of the Castle Rock Local Business Alliance
