5 reasons to support small businesses

I support local businesses. I think that small businesses are a vital part of any community. Here are five great reasons to support locally owned businesses: 

1.  Local Character and Prosperity

In the world of big box merchandisers, communities that preserve their unique small businesses have an economic advantage. They also preserve the unique warmth of the area.

2.  Community Well-Being

Locally owned businesses build strong communities by sustaining vibrant town centers, linking neighbors in a web of economic and social relationships, and contributing to local causes.

3. Local Decision-Making

Local ownership ensures that important decisions are made locally by people who live in the community and who will feel the impacts of those decisions.

4.  Keeping Dollars in the Local Economy

Compared to chain stores, locally owned businesses recycle a much larger share of their revenue back into the local economy, enriching the whole community.

5.  Job and Wages

Locally owned businesses create more jobs locally and, in some sectors, provide better wages and benefits than chains do.

So, if you didn't know, now you know. Start supporting locally owned businesses in your area, today!

-KRC

Give back!

Today, I was thinking about the importance of giving back to the people that help you in life. This road, called life, can be hard to navigate. The truth is that no one becomes successful without the help of others who go before them and stride alongside them. It is a wise person who remembers that no person is an island and no world changer ever did it alone. If you're reading this, I know you have a dream. Everyone alive had something that God put in their heart to accomplish. No matter what it is, you should start now and never be afraid to ask for help. You never know when you'll come across someone who has the exact resource or knowledge that will finish the puzzle! Be open to discovering the purpose of every person and experience that life brings your way, and you can't lose. Once you reach your goals, go higher; but never forget to give back to the community that helped you get there!

-Kim