From gadgets, clothes, toys, and body care products, Sherburne County, Minnesota is home to several different local shops and stores that have a little of everything that anyone could be looking for. As the holiday season is approaching, visitors and residents of the area are encouraged to shop at local small businesses. Below, we will discuss a few of the most important reasons of why you should shop local in Sherburne County during the upcoming holidays.

1. By shopping at local businesses, you are supporting and helping them flourish.

We often do not think about the fact that every time we spend money on an item at a store, we are helping that store remain in business. Some stores may not need as much help as others. For example, Walmart is a big enterprise that will most likely remain open for a long time. Small businesses need more help from the community to thrive and succeed. Therefore, you should shop local this holiday season and encourage others that you know to help small businesses in Sherburne County. Without your help, there is a chance that these stores may not survive.

2. Most small local businesses started with a dream.

There is a big difference in small local businesses and large chain businesses. Every time you purchase something from a small local business, you are supporting a dream and a passion. You are also helping your neighbors and community members stay employed. If that business did not make enough money and had to close, several people would be out of a job. Local businesses provide jobs to around 77 million individuals in the United States, which equals up to around two-thirds of the entire private sector. This should be a big reason for anyone to want to shop at local businesses in their community.

3. By shopping local, you are building a sense of community.

If you shop at local businesses often, you will start learning about the people who work at each place and get to know them on a first-name basis. This promotes trust and support in a community, and it forms a friendly environment that is filled with excellent customer service. You will feel valued as a customer, and the business along with its employees will feel valued that you continue to shop with them.

4. Unique, one-of-a-kind items are easily found at local shops.

When you are Christmas shopping for a special friend or family member and need to find the perfect gift, local shops are the place to go. They offer unique, one-of-a-kind gifts that cannot be found at any other store. It is also fun to spend the day looking at all the quirky, unusual products and items that you can find in small local businesses. The recipients of your gifts will surely be impressed by the neat things that you purchased for them.

5. You are helping money stay within your community.

When you begin shopping at small local businesses, individuals who work at these stores may take notice and begin buying services and items from you if you own or work at a small business as well. It becomes a never-ending cycle of support from all who are involved, which results in a very successful community. Also, when you shop at a local store and spend $100, $68 of that $100 will remain in the local community. If you spend $100 at a big enterprise, only $48 of the $100 will remain in your local community. Twenty dollars may not sound like a big difference, but it can add up rather quickly. The money that you spend at a small local business creates 3.5 times more wealth than purchasing items and goods from a retail chain store.