What Shopping Local Means

I am the world's best at scouring Amazon to find a good deal on a product I want to buy or that I want to buy some day. I have nothing against Amazon because it helped and continues to help me on a daily basis get the things I need in a hurry, but it doesn't help my local businesses in our amazing hometown. 

I have worked in retail now for 4 years since leaving teaching, and then 4 years prior to this in high school. I understand that there's an ebb and flow of traffic and slow and busy seasons in retail. BUT now being a business owner, this is the time that we need to support local businesses and small businesses more than ever. 

I love online shopping. I really do. I do it while nursing, while working, and probably other times that I'm not even thinking about it. I shop on local shops' websites, other small businesses farther away, and then Amazon and bigger chains as well. As I have gotten older, I don't love going shopping (I think having a baby has made it more inconvenient too) unless it's Target. So, online shopping is my jam. 

But we walked around our town square the other day passing out posters for our upcoming First Fridays, and I realized shopping locally is more important that I realize. All business owners are people with families who make our community so great. I know you've seen the meme saying, "Every time you buy from a small business, the owner does a little happy dance." It's true We really do. 

Bryson and I so desperately want our business to be able to support our family, but the truth is...it doesn't yet. We don't pay ourselves, so we can pay our employees. And I know so many businesses that are in the same boat that we are. We work night and day to make our business grow and be a place that you want to come to find the perfect gift for your granny or mama. We give it our all to make your experience amazing when you walk through those doors. We spend countless hours looking up new products  and testing all of them before they hit our shelves. We spend way too many hours on Instagram answering messages, interacting with people, and getting new product ideas. 

What I'm basically saying is, small businesses need you. You - the customers and fans. We need you to comment, like, share about us on social media. We need you to tell your friends and family about us. We need you to come in and buy that gift for your cousin's ex-wife. We need you to just give us some encouragement (especially during the summer and January-March). We need you to give us good reviews if you like our shop. We need you to tell us how we can improve (preferably in person instead of a negative review), so we can make our stores better. Basically, we are a succulent who is super needy, but you love us anyway. 

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts when you do purchase from us. It does make us do a little happy dance and know that we will be able to make it this month (some months are scarier than others). So, if you're feeling fancy this week, comment a little more, browse a local stores' goods, and tell us hello if you see us out! We'd love your support even more than you know!