Top Ten Reasons to Spend Locally

The Chamber urges everyone to continue to shop and dine in your community! A few months ago we published an article, supplied to us by Laura Carpenter, owner of Little Professor Book Store, that alerted us: If everyone spent $100 a month on only Michigan made products, it would take less than a year to balance the budget! Imagine what we could do if everyone committed to spend $100 a month in their own community!

Shopping locally not only benefits the merchants and their employees, it local government revenue in the form of sales tax dollars. The sales tax dollars affect the businesses, school needs, infrastructure and countless other items we enjoy and expect as residents here.

Top Ten Reasons to Shop and Dine Locally

1. Keep the Dollars in Our Local Economy – when you shop in your community, you simultaneously create jobs, fund more services through sales tax, invest in neighborhood improvement, and promote community development.
2. Local Business Owners Invest in Community – Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and more invested in the community’s future.
3. Support Community Businesses – The well-being of a community benefits when you shop locally. Our area businesses build strong neighborhoods by sustaining communities, contributing to local charities, supporting sports teams, festivals, service clubs, schools activities, and the list goes on.
4. It’s in Your Backyard – Win – Win. Reduce your environmental footprint and save money at the same time. Shopping in your community means no need for long drives. You’re not burning fuel and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Everything you need is right here in your own backyard.
5. Consider What Our Retailers Are Facing – They purchased their stock six months ago for $100 hoping to sell it today for $120, pay their employees, pay their taxes, heat and hydro, donate to charity, and hopefully pay themselves. Instead they are being asked to sell it for $80.
6. More Jobs and Wages – Supporting our local merchants means more jobs and better wages for our community. These wages, in turn, are spend again in our community as employees purchase goods and services from local merchants.
7. Keep Our City Unique – We have a variety of unique specialty shops and products. These businesses integral part of the distinctive character of our community. Our community is a destination place because of it’s lakes, shopping, beauty, and friendliness. By choosing to support local businesses you help maintain our diversity and distinct flavor.
8. Get Better Service – Our area merchants take pride in hiring the right people who are passionate about their products and services…let’s support them by shopping locally. An consider if you have a problem with the item you have purchased you can easily return local merchandise for service where this is not as easily accomplished with a foreign purchase.
9. Lots of Great Products- With so many great stores, markets, restaurants, specialty shops, the choices are endless. There is a broad range of products available.
10. We love our Community – Let’s Keep Our Money Here – We can encourage local prosperity by keeping our hard earned dollars in our local economy.

The Fenton Regional Chamber of Commerce exists to be a strong advocate for member businesses through services and resources, while fostering the economic vitality and prosperity of our region.