Auntie Kate The Resale Expert

Asking your community to #shoplocal is not enough. You need to show them What’s in It for Me?

They don’t care that you’re the “lifeblood of our community”. They’re looking for the why’s, the how-come’s, what they will get out of shopping local.

Why are you asking your community to #shoplocal? Here’s a dozen reasons, designed to fulfill their unspoken longings to connect to a community, to pluck their heartstrings, to appeal to their wallets or their higher instincts. Try a few, the next time you launch a #shoplocal message.

Why should they even #shoplocal? Because:

* Local businesses support local charities. Look who’s donating door prizes, giving raffle incentives, helping local events raise funds needed for local use.
* Local businesses help protect the environment by cutting down on needless car travel, engines idling in traffic jams near the local Big Box, even wear and tear on our transportation systems.
* Local businesses are the ones who help pay for youth teams’ uniforms, equipment, and travel.
* Local businesses care about you. You’re not a statistic to be reported to Home Office. You’re a neighbor and potential friend.
* Local businesses can be counted on to offset production costs for local events, with sponsorship and advertising purchases.
* Local businesses create community with their own events. Love Sip n Strolls, First Friday Downtown events, things like that? That’s local business saying “howdy, come say hello” to you!
* Local businesses are the ones giving needed supplies, whether it’s paint to freshen up the outfield fence or clothing for an unexpected foster child.
* Local businesses fuel our local economy by hiring fellow citizens, by making local purchases of supplies, even by buying lunch locally!
* Local businesses save their clients time simply by being close by. No wasted trips, and local businesses answer their phones personally for a quick and pleasant interaction free of “press one for..”.
* Local businesses provide space for kids selling cookies, popcorn, and more, teaching them entrepreneurship and good citizenship.
* Local businesses respond, up close and personal, to the physical and emotional needs of the people in our community.
* Local businesses make our community a more attractive place with everything from window boxes of petunias to doggie fountains.

And since we are all resale/ recycle/ reuse local businesses, we have even more reasons to share about why #shoplocal is important. A round up of Auntie Kate blog ideas is here.