Guest columnist
The brisk evening air was a refreshing change from the usual Florida heat –the topic of conversation with the neighbors this evening- but as the minutes ticked on the discussion turned to that of business. My neighbor, a local ice cream shop owner, started to talk about his customers and the gradual drop-off the shop experiences as the seasons change. His story told of the importance of supporting small, locally owned businesses. The patrons that come in all throughout the year are greatly appreciated by this ice cream shop owner, but this is true across all industries and sectors for small business owners. When you shop with a small business you support a mother, father, sister, brother, cousin, friend, or neighbor.
Support for small, local businesses is not just helpful to their owners, but is essential to the community as a whole. From 2011 to early 2019, St. Johns County, Florida saw an increase of 1,846 businesses and 21,438 jobs, just in the private sector alone, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. When you spend your money with small businesses your support goes far beyond just their pockets. Dollars are recycled back into the local economy – according to a 2017 FreshBooks study, 66% of small businesses will outsource services to other small businesses. Small businesses will also often support local schools, charities and churches. They provide unique characteristics to the community, a one-of-a-kind shopping experience for consumers, helping to generate local economic development. "Going local does not mean walling off the outside world. It means nurturing locally owned businesses which use local resources sustainably, employ local workers at decent wages and serve primarily local consumers,” according to Michael H. Shuman, author of Going Local.
As the Thanksgiving festivities came to an end and just before the next swell in the Holiday season events began, we had Small Business Saturday. Founded by American Express in 2010, this day is celebrated annually on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to recognize local, small businesses. November 30, 2019 was the 10th Anniversary of Small Business Saturday – a day dedicated to supporting small businesses and communities across the country.
Supporting small businesses in our community can include purchasing goods or services in store/online, as well as simply sharing the word –every small piece of promotion for a local business helps! Whether it is a suggestion to a friend or sharing a Facebook post from a local favorite, small business owners appreciate your word-of-mouth marketing.
If you shopped locally Nov. 30, thank you. In any case, there are plenty more shopping days to come. So, let us all show our gratitude for all of our local, small business owners in St. Johns County and support them.
