I BUY LOCAL

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December 22, 2004

I Buy Local

I think it all started with Wal-Mart. I used to shop at Wal-Mart fairly frequently, sent with lists of things to get: shelves, medicine, sundries, doo-dads, a lightbulb or two. One day, it struck me that no one in Wal-Mart seems very happy to be there. The employees certainly didn't. Then, I got in line, and had one of the worst customer service experiences of my life. From that day on, I decided never to shop at Wal-Mart again. I figured it wouldn't be that hard; there was a Target almost as close. People at Target seem much happier, and the prices aren't all that different.

Then, there was the Wild Sage Cafe. It was a little restaurant that opened up around the corner. The people who ran the place were extremely pleasant, and the food was excellent. They closed down. It bothered me. IHOP, Olive Garden and Applebee's were still open, and their food is horrible (for the most part). But, my little neighborhood restaurant, probably owned by someone I would consider a neighbor, closed down.

After that, Home Depot happened. We were trying to get estimates on getting our floors done. They lost our estimate, got it wrong twice, never called back and when we did show up, it took them forever to get to us. We decided we didn't want to give them our money. We went to a couple local places, where they were very pleasant -- and even more importantly -- were helpful and seemed happy to be there. I found out that the owner of one of the stores lives in my neighborhood.

Late this summer, my son and I went out to Bluemont to Great Country Farms to pick some vegetables and berries. We had a great time. I sent an e-mail to the owner to tell her what a great time we had, and she wrote back how thankful she was for our visit and for the note. Although Bluemont is forty-five minutes away, this lady now felt like a neighbor, too.

I know, this isn't really explaining anything, but I wanted to give you some idea of where this is coming from before I tell you what this is all about.

This is all about helping out our neighbors. I can only imagine how hard it must be to open and own your own small business. I work for a large company, and so have no experience with small business. But, I realize that I can help out my local small businesses, and more importantly, my neighbors. I can choose to go to them instead of those ubiquitous chains and megamarts. I can look for a local business before I go to a chain.

I read somewhere that every $11 you spend in the local economy represents $28 in real value, because the money circulates a few times in the local economy before it leaves. I'm not sure if that's true, but it feels right. Rural farmers are getting older, and they're running out of room in the age of industrial farms.

I decided that I can do more than just support my local businesses myself. I can see if I can get other folks to help out. That's what this site is all about. It's not a big idea, nor is it terribly novel. Here it is in a lovely bulleted list:

• When given the choice, choose a local business. Instead of going to the Olive Garden, go to your local Italian restaurant. I bet you'll have more fun, and the food will be better.
• Support local agriculture, whether it's by doing something like CSA, or just going to Farmer's Markets, look for those opportunities. You'll be helping out a lot of people, and your food will be better (really, I promise, it will be).
• When there is no local option, choose a "well-behaved" option. For example, choose the grocery store that pays its employees well, and has good customer service (Costco is a good example of this). The price difference, again, probably isn't that different. Plus, you'll be rewarding good citizenship.
• Look for new businesses in your area and go visit them. Even if you don't buy anything, having someone come into your shop has to feel good.
• Get to know your local businesses. Talk to the owners. Ask them how they got started, and how they like the area.
• If you own a local business, look at other local businesses when you need something. For example, instead of printing fliers or coupons at a national chain, look up a local print shop and see how their prices compare. I bet the difference won't be as large as you think.
• Speak up. When someone does something right, praise them publicly. When they mess up, send them a letter. Let the businesses you deal with know how they can serve you better.

See? It shouldn't be that difficult. It should make your life better. You'll eat better, or at least have more varied dining experiences. You'll have some adventures, and probably meet some really nice folks in the process.

Now that I've told you everything... what's left? Hopefully, I'll follow my own rules and bring you some stories of my adventures, and new information as I come up with it. If you have local business success stories, I'd love to hear 'em!! Send 'em to kevin-at-ibuylocal.info, and if they're awesome, I'll post them here.

Posted by Kevin Lawver at December 22, 2004 9:36 AM

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Posted by: The Zurschmeide family at February 24, 2005 3:29 PM

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