Why should we Support Local Businesses in the UK in 2021?
Reasons to Support Local Busineses in the UK
2. Ambience
5. Charities
9. Competition
COVID-19 hit local businesses the worst in the past year. These businesses have struggled to not shut down with much fewer profits since people stopped going outside, contributing significantly to the economy. The government has introduced several policies to ensure that they can get up to their feet. However, the pandemic has given birth to several new local businesses as well.
While these neighbouring shops may not engage your interest much against advertising by multinationals Let us tell you why you should support local businesses.
Reasons to Support Local Businesses in the UK in 2021:
Whatever is spent in these shops directly contributes to the economy. According to research, if you spend £10 in an independent shop, then £50 goes back into the local economy. So you will be impacting your local community by supporting your neighbourhood business.
Additionally, local suppliers are used to obtaining products, and the local people are employed in these shops. As people buy, the need to hire hands for help will also increase. So, these businesses also create jobs that add to the diversity and the uniqueness within the community. These shops provide personalisation to customers. Meaning the shops are vibrant,social and encourage the visitors to spend as much time as they want. Their doors are always left open for all. Therefore, buying from the local market can help those looking for jobs in this tough economy.
As per research, these shops or SMEs (Small-to-medium) account for 61% of employment in the UK. That is about three-fifths of the nation. Furthermore, people do not need to visit the shops if they fear their safety against the virus. These small businesses have transcended online as well. You can very well order from their websites or apps and have the product delivered to you.
Small shops have the most quaint things stored in their shops. The idea of next-day delivery is not easy to resist. But sometimes, that can cost you more than you have planned. Instead, pop over to that stationery shop in your locality for a box of ribbons instead of ordering on Amazon. Also, since you are a local, you might get a discount if you buy several products. Living in a diversified community has its benefits, and this is one of them. Plus, if you have any specific needs, these businesses can try to arrange them because to them, the customer is king!
Every business starts small. It is the support of people that makes them significant.
For small entrepreneurs, every purchase matters. They are taking a huge risk by starting a business. They give up on their stable source of income and put their savings into investments to start their business. As a result, you are supporting their dream as well as the economy. A viral video that often makes rounds on social media involves a couple of girls who dance behind their counter after the customer made a purchase and left. This is pretty common amongst smaller businesses that celebrate every time someone buys their product. Plus, supporting them will contribute to local jobs growth as well.
Local businesses tend to get incredibly creative when it comes to promoting their products. It adds a certain uniqueness to the locality that can attract more tourists once the lockdown restrictions are eased. This can fuel growth further as tourism is essential for the UK's economy. The influx of tourists to see the flair of the neighbourhood can be profitable to small businesses and boost jobs in the locality.
Also, the generated revenue supports council services like park maintenance, libraries, roads etc., in the nation.
Local shops have ties with local charities that they support. So apart from helping your community grow economically, you are also helping them socially. These collaborations create awareness about the cause that the shops and the charities support and are trying to fund.
Handmade products that are truly unique to the market hold much attraction for the customers. Small businesses begin by creating the most fantastic product and evolving it further to keep their customers engaged and earn new ones. Some of them even sell personalised products so you can have genuinely one-of-its-kind products. These are handcrafted, and much love is poured into them during manufacturing.
Not only that, the businesses keep on innovating their products that give the customer more choices.
For small businesses, customers are everything, as mentioned before. So, they are constantly working on creating the best possible customer experience to ensure that they return for another purchase. Therefore, they reply to the customer at the moment's notice and solve problems immediately. And they take feedback seriously as well.
Small businesses do everything by themselves, from organising the product materials to manufacturing and packing. Often they add cute notes or even small gifts to interest the customers.
Multinational brands face more threats from smaller businesses than do from their competitors. Because there will always be those in the market, who would prefer one brand over the other. This leaves a scope of the customer changing between the brands. But with smaller businesses, you get top-notch customer experience, higher quality and personalised products, lower prices, etc. They can switch to the local products, leaving no room for switching between the brands.
Multinational corporations have been accused of neglecting the environment on several fronts. Smaller businesses, on the other hand, tend to be more environmentally conscious. They have lower carbon footprints as less plastic waste. Their products are sustainable as well.
There are several reasons to support local businesses in the United Kingdom. However, the challenge such local stores face is managing things and offering timely delivery of products. As a result, they require something that keeps detailed information about all the orders and shipping status. Optimiser is a leading CRM platform that optimises business for good and improves the efficiency of sales and marketing practices. Even if you have multiple stores, it allows you to manage staff across the stores. Try for free now.
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