Happy Independents' Week!
No, that's not a typo or spelling mistake. Independent businesses all around the country recognize July 1-7 as "Indendents' Week", celebrating local, independent merchants, restuarants, and services!
Local businesses employ local workers; you, your family members, and your neighbors. The other businesses that they choose to work with for their services, such as accountants, waste pickup, cleaning, etc., are more likely to be other local, independent businesses, too. The profit dollars are invested back into the same community and not sent on to a large corporate headquarters.
When doing business with a local company, you are more likely to get a better product and almost always guaranteed more personal service. At the bookstore that I frequent, I get book recommendations from the owner herself. The coffee shops right near my business will often hand-deliver or call me when my favorite items are on special!
In our family's drycleaners, I cannot count the times that my dad has given special care or free delivery to a customer who needed a piece of clothing or a household article "immediately". At my bridal store, I can guarantee better quality and service to my brides than the large, "big-name" bridal warehouses; I promise!
Now, I am not naive about the fact that even the large stores with out-of-state headquarters still hire local workers. I also will admit to enjoying my weekly trip to Target, with it's dollar deals and cute, cheap clothes that I wear for a season and then toss. But, I will always invest my time and money in a local, independent business when quality and service is a priority.
So, ask you to join me in celebrating "Independents' Week" by visiting a local merchant, building a relationship, and then enjoying the best that our marketplace has to offer!
September's Bride is a proud member of LIBA- Lakeshore Independent Business Alliance
