Why do we love when you shop local business? Let us count the ways!
- It keeps the soul of your town alive and well. Those cute little shops? That personalized agent service? That cafe where they know your order and get the coffee from a roaster up the road? Yeah, those all make your community special, and when you buy from them, you keep that alive. At a time where every shopping center is starting to look the same, that’s worth fighting for. For every dollar you spend at a local business, $68 stays in the community: for other businesses, to support infrastructure and community needs…for everything around that area (this is a full third or so more than stays if you shop at a national chain). That pays other small businesses. A ripple effect!
- Local businesses have better customer service and cooler stuff. Facts.
- Small companies have generated 12.9 million net new jobs over the past 25 years, accounting for two out of every three jobs added to the economy (U.S. Small Business Administration). These businesses account for 44 percent of U.S. economic activity and 64 percent of jobs created in America. Supporting those keeps those jobs available.
- Supporting Black or Latinx-owned business is even more important, as these businesses account for only about 21% of small biz. They need our love to grow, too, and help these communities equalize economic access and resources.
- Seventy-five percent of small businesses rely on holiday sales to meet yearly revenue needs.
As you can see, even a few dollars into a local business has a positive impact on your community, because we live and work here, and we care about you and the experience you have within our businesses. I see it every day in the Girl Boss community– women spending countless hours on every aspect of their work.
That’s why we created the St Pete Girl Boss Gift Guide. New for 2023, it is a low-cost, high visibility guide for consumers to use to find some really cool gifts from our local women-owned service and retail businesses.
Over 120 listings feature everything from Human Design readings and kayak and fishing tours, to organic skincare and massage deals for him. I really wanted to bring these businesses together so we can all share, shop, and show our community how we collaborate, even during the time of year when it seems like we are all competing for every last dollar. We don’t think that way– we know there is something for everyone.
We hope you’ll take the time to look at the guide and connect with some of our amazing Bosses for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, hostess gifts, or even to spoil yourself. It’s true, you know, what they say about us doing a happy dance when you buy, share, or leave a lovely review. YOU mean something to the small businesses you love, and we hope you feel that during the holidays and beyond.
