Why Shop Local?

Around here, you’ve probably seen signs calling for you to Shop Local! all around town. One of the prides of Athens and Watkinsville is that a large portion of our businesses are small, family-owned, and not part of multi-location chains.

But what makes that so special? Why is it important to shop local?

What does "Shop Local" mean?

Shopping local basically just refers to doing business with smaller businesses in your area, whether it’s the Mom and Pop hardware store on the corner or your best friend who sells homemade masks on Facebook.

Why should you shop local?

There are a bunch of reasons to shop local, so let's explore them!

Support Your Friends

One of the biggest reasons to shop local businesses is simply to support the people running them. You know them; they’re your friends, your family, and your neighbors, all bravely navigating the tumultuous world of entrepreneurship. It can be a scary venture, and by choosing to buy something from them, you’ll really encourage them on their journey. 

Plus, they’re your friends and family, and aren’t we all eager to do what we can to help out our friends and family?

​As a family of red-heads, you’ve probably seen the Rushings shopping at Publix, dropping off kids at daycare, or attempting to sit still in church on Sunday. Many of our family members have small businesses and we do our best to support each other.

Employ Your Neighbors

Small, local businesses wouldn’t be able to stay in business if not for your business. By shopping local and choosing to buy from someone in your community, you’re ensuring the continuation of their job, and by extension, their livelihood.

When you choose Classic City Arborists, you’re not just supporting Scott and Rebekah and their little family of four. You are also supporting his team of four men and their families as well.

Stimulate Your Economy

​On a larger scale, shopping local also keeps the exchange of money local and better stimulates the economy of your area. Small business owners are also more likely to shop local themselves, which means the money they get from you will likely go to supporting another small business.

​Think of it like this: if you buy a necklace from Wal-Mart, then that money goes to the Wal-Mart corporation. It may or may not ever make its way back to the Athens area. If you buy a necklace from your friend who makes her own glass beads, then the money you pay for that jewelry is going to directly sustain your friend, who will probably use it when she goes out to eat next week. Since she understands the struggle of owning a small business, she decides to go to the local burger joint rather than a mass chain, and your money is now in the hands of a family-owned restaurant, where it will directly support the cost of education for their kids.

At Classic City Arborists, we try to shop local as much as possible. As members of the Oconee Chamber of Commerce, we understand how vital it is to support up-and-coming businesses, as well as supporting long-standing local service providers.

Impact Your Community

​In addition to stimulating your local economy, shopping local can help benefit your community; small business owners are more likely to support charities and change initiatives that directly impact their area rather than the nation at large. This means your support to a local business could in turn support the homeless population in Athens, or help fund an animal shelter downtown to save more lives.

Classic City Arborists personally supports charities local to the Athens and Watkinsville areas, such as City of Hope Athens, and ESP of Watkinsville. We send our donations to the local GoodWill (and shop there, too!). We also partner with local businesses when we get a job that needs more equipment than we’ve got; if we ever need a crane for a large tree removal, we call a local crane operator.

What do you get out of it?

​While all the things we’ve mentioned here are great reasons to shop local, customer experience is still a huge factor in deciding where you direct your patronage.

The benefit of small businesses is that they’re small; even if they have hundreds of customers, they still don’t have near as many as the superstore. Local business owners appreciate each and every one of the customers who choose to do business with them, and as such, will spend as much one-on-one time with you as you need to ensure you get what you’re looking for and leave completely satisfied. You won’t find that level of personal attention anywhere else.

At Classic City Arborists, we do our best to give every single customer the attention and care they deserve. The   phone numbers    you see on   our website  are our personal phone numbers. With our   free estimates, Scott (our   certified arborist) will come out to your property, spend as much time as needed to evaluate the work you’re thinking you’d like done, and help you decide what to do. Once you’re on our schedule, Rebekah will send you a weekly email to update you on any delays due to weather or unforeseen circumstances.

At the end of the day, choosing to shop local is a great way to not only support your friends and family with their dream, but to also stimulate your local economy and influence your local community. Plus, you get personalized service on top of it! What’s not to love? Have your family call our family!

Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

Sources:
Festival.net
​City of Hope Athens
ESP: Extra Special People
How to Get Customers to Shop Local
Oconee County Chamber of Commerce
Shop Local - Eat Fresh
The Downtown Athens Business Association