Before big chain stores or two-day Prime delivery, Mom and Pop stores were the only way to go. While it may seem like those days are over, they’ve just been reinvented. Mom and Pop stores are alive and well, and we hope these small business quotes will encourage you to buy locally first.
Small businesses are the heart of America
From the local ice rink where every kid in town celebrates at least one birthday to the tire shop that always supports a youth sports team every season, local businesses are at the heart of America.
According to the US Census Bureau, 90% of US businesses are family-owned or controlled. However, it’s hard work and they don’t have it easy. Without the deeper pockets that larger companies have, only 50% of small family businesses with more than two employees make it to the five-year mark. (Source)
What is considered a small business?
According to the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses employ fewer than 1,500 people. They also earn less than $38.5 million in annual revenue, depending on their industry. It’s no wonder that 99.9% of all businesses in the US are considered “small businesses.” (Source)
In reality, the average number of employees a small business has is just ten. However, don’t just think about the shops. These are local construction crews, lawyers, financial advisors, real estate agents and restaurants. They are private gyms and independent caregivers. Choosing to shop locally means more than just walking into a store.
How do small businesses benefit from their communities?
Small businesses return three times as much revenue to the communities in which they live and work compared to larger franchises. Compared to online businesses, that number goes up to 50%. (Source)
Small businesses often donate to local charities, sports teams, and other charities. The local Mom and Pop stores are in many ways the true backbone of the local economy. Without local businesses, a city would just be a neighborhood.
Who are the people behind small businesses?
For the most part, the men and women who own independent businesses are your neighbors. By employing local residents, they help support the families who also live in the community.
While some jobs are for skilled workers, many small businesses hire for positions that don’t require advanced training or degrees. A solid 25% of all employment in the US is in customer service, and many of those jobs are filled by people who might not otherwise qualify for more competitive work. (Source)
What Happens When You Shop Local?
Simply put, communities need strong support from independent businesses to thrive. This is best achieved when the people who live in communities place a high value on keeping small businesses healthy and supporting their local store owners.
While it’s great to buy something local, that doesn’t mean you should never order online or buy something from a large store. Michael H. Shuman, the author of the book Going Local, puts it this way: “It means nurturing local businesses that use local resources sustainably, hire local workers for decent wages and primarily serve local consumers.”
Local shops employ local people, who spend money to shop locally, helping to create a thriving economy for the entire community.
Are Unique, Unique Businesses Better Than Big Box Stores?
As of 2018, 75% of the 19,495 incorporated cities, towns, and villages in the US have fewer than 5,000 residents. (Source) While larger retail chains may offer lower prices, a community with a large portion of these may lose its sense of community compared to small, independent stores.
Often there are at least one or two local branches in small towns that residents attribute to the “hometown” feel of their community. It could be a restaurant known for being a great place to hang out or a store that sells clothes featuring the local school mascot.
When there are fewer Mom and Pop stores in a city than large corporations, residents may not feel as connected or have a sense of loyalty to their community.
Some Benefits of Buying from Small Business Owners
Local shops employ local people, who spend money to shop locally, helping to create a thriving economy for the entire community. Small businesses are responsible for creating two-thirds of all jobs. Local businesses provide a large portion of the tax base for cities/provinces.
Some Disadvantages of Shopping Local
Prices can be higher than larger companies that can buy in bulk. The selection may be smaller than larger stores on what is available online. Making the effort to shop locally can take more time than shopping online. New businesses don’t have the venture capital that larger companies have and often struggle with the day-to-day costs of running a business, which can make for a poor user experience.
When you choose small business products and services, you are choosing to support your neighbor, which in turn helps make your community a better, stronger place to live.
Here are some “small business support” quotes that may encourage you to spend your dollars in your hometown before choosing to spend it elsewhere.
Small Business Support Quotes by Celebrities
1. “There is no beauty in the finest matter if it causes hunger and misfortune.” Mahatma Gandhi
2. “Strive not to be a success, but to be of value.” Albert Einstein
3. “It’s not enough to just look for the quality of the products we buy, we have to make sure there’s quality in the lives of the people who make them.” Orsola de Castro
4. “What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” Jane Goodall
5. “As consumers, we have so much power to change the world just by being careful about what we buy.” Emma Watson
6. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is therefore not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle
7. “It’s pretty fun to do the impossible.” Walt Disney
8. “What do you need to start a business? Three simple things: know your product like no other. Know your customer and have a burning desire to succeed.” Dave Thomas.
9. “A company that is absolutely committed to service will worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large.” Henry Ford.
10. “I buy my produce at the local farmers market, which is actually cheaper than shopping at the supermarket.” Anna Getty
11. “Behind every small business is a story worth knowing.” Paul Ryan.
12. “You don’t build a business, you build people, then people build the business.” Zig Ziglar
13. “I can’t imagine anyone becoming a success who doesn’t give this game of life everything it’s got.” Walter Cronkite
14. “I’m convinced that about half of what sets the successful entrepreneurs apart from the unsuccessful is sheer perseverance.” Steve Jobs
Business Owner Quotes Encouraging You to Shop Local
15. “Your business is personal to us.”
16. “Our customers are people, not numbers.”
17. “Your support is the key to our success.”
18. “We do business for you.”
19. “No customer is small for a small business owner.”
Small Business Quote Support for Customers
20. “When you shop at local small businesses, more of your money stays in your community.”
21. “Keep your taxes where you live. Buy from local businesses instead of big corporations.”
22. “How can you build a stronger community? Help local businesses grow.”
23. “Local businesses are the lifeblood of any community.”
24. “When you support small businesses, you support a dream.”
25. “Supporting someone else’s success will never spoil yours.”
26. “Every small purchase makes a big difference.”
27. “When you buy from a small company, a real person does a little happy dance.”
28. “Supporting small businesses doesn’t help a CEO buy a third vacation home. You help a little girl with dance lessons, a little boy his team shirt, a mother who puts food on the table, a father to pay a mortgage or a student to study.”
29. “Support your friend’s business and progress like you support the celebrities you don’t actually know.”
30. “You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy locally and it’s kind of the same.”
31. “Find love in all the local places.”
32. “Support your friends. Don’t ask for free stuff, pay for it. Go to their shows, be the first to buy their products and promote their ideas.”
33. “Giving a gift from a small business is giving a gift twice.”
Hopefully you’ve been inspired to buy something local with these small business support quotes. It’s easy to forget and fall back into a pattern of doing business online or shopping at larger, one-stop-shops.
When shopping somewhere, buy locally first. Keep your money in the community you live in and you will benefit yourself and others in more ways!
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About the author
Karee Blunt
Karee Blunt is the founder of Our Woven Journey, a travel blog focused on inspiring others to create memories of adventures with their loved ones. Karee is passionate about encouraging others to step out of their comfort zone and live the life they dream of. She is the mother of six children, four of them through adoption, and lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest. You can learn more about Karee on her about me page.
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This post 30+ “Support Small Business” Quotes That Will Convince You To Shop Local
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