BRATTLEBORO — I love living in downtown Brattleboro.
Among its many perks is the fact that we have a vibrant town center which offers a range of essential offerings, from a diverse culinary carte du jour, a co-op grocery, coffee shops, and a farmers' market, to a family-owned sporting goods store, a bevy of boutiques, florists, jewelers, hair salons, book sellers, bike shops, music vendors, art galleries, furniture showrooms, film houses, and performance venues, to an authentic neighborhood hardware depot.
Not to mention the broad mix of services such as day care, banking, legal, laundry, fitness, recreation, and learning.
We have it all!
In spite of this apparent success, many of our local small-business owners have been among those hit the hardest since the national economy crashed a few years ago.
Unfortunately, as times get tight and our spending power diminishes, more people have been trimming dining budgets, staying home for entertainment, and looking to the Internet and the big-box stores for deep discounts when shopping for goods, thus leaving our mom-and-pop shops struggling to hold on.
But by not circulating our resources locally we begin to fan the flames of a vicious cycle that makes it very difficult to escape. While we are “saving money” by sending our hard-earned dollars to multi-national chains, choosing to watch Netflix instead of local youth theater, or pinching pennies by eating fast food instead of sit-down dining, we ultimately choke the life out of the very community we have come to be so proud to call home.
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To combat this harmful trend, Building a Better Brattleboro is supporting initiatives that enhance the livability of our community, the stability and diversity of our local economy, and the retention and expansion of independent, locally owned businesses.
So, in the spirit of giving back, here are our top reasons to shop downtown during this year's holiday season:
1. Shop your conscience. Let's remember that cheaper is not always better. Although a product might be less expensive at a megastore, there could be many underlying issues with the product that explains how it came to be so cheap, such as inhumane working conditions; poor-quality, artificial, unhealthy ingredients; or other abuses. It's likely that our small businesses offer products that are of higher quality because the ingredients or components are most likely local and handmade.
2. Encourage local prosperity. Research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character. Furthermore, supporting small businesses encourages individuals to be entrepreneurial and to allow their own skills to serve the community.
3. Create more good jobs. Small businesses are the largest employer in our town, providing the most jobs to residents. When you buy from a locally owned business, more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers, and farms, continuing to strengthen the economic base of our community.
4. Invest in community. Most small businesses are owned by folks who live here, are more invested in our future, and are less likely to leave. They can also be a good resource in your career or social network because they are so well connected and can help introduce you to other locals you might otherwise never have met.
5. Keep Brattleboro unique. Let's remember that a handful of companies dominate the retail, service, and dining landscape in America today. In an increasingly homogenized world, communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character have an economic advantage. Our local, small businesses give this town its own unique flavor. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of this place, and they draw much-needed tourism.
6. Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy. A marketplace full of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long term, as they can select products based on their own interests and the needs of their local customers.
7. Get better service. Loyalty pays off. Small-business owners are more likely to know their customers and offer them friendly discounts or other perks. These proprietors will likely be there for you when you need help, they often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling, and they take more time to get to know you as a customer.
8. Support charitable groups. Nonprofit organizations receive on average 250-percent more support from smaller-business owners than they do from large businesses. In places where small businesses account for a large share of the economy, local charities usually have stronger social networks, more engaged citizens, and better success.
9. Put our taxes to good use. Businesses in compact town centers like Brattleboro require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores located out on the fringes.
10. Reduce environmental impact. Downtown businesses are centrally located, helping to sustain a vibrant, compact, walkable town center, and they make local purchases requiring less transportation. Both of these factors contribute less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss, and pollution.
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By working to increase awareness about the benefits of choosing to shop local first, we promote a thriving, collaborative community - one where local businesses are prosperous, contributing to a healthy environment and the well-being of all of our residents.