Support Your Community by Shopping Locally in Hopewell/Prince George, VA This Holiday Season

This holiday season, commit to shopping locally as much as possible. When you do, you'll be benefiting your community in more ways than one. Here's a look at just a few of the ways shopping locally benefits the community courtesy of the Hopewell Prince George Chamber of Commerce.

Promoting Job Growth

As Millennials in Motion Magazine notes, one of the most obvious ways shopping locally benefits the community is by promoting job growth. When you shop at locally owned businesses, you are supporting the entrepreneurs and workers in your community. This keeps money circulating within the local economy, which in turn creates more jobs. So, when you shop local this holiday season, you'll be doing your part to boost job growth in your community.

Boosting the Economy

Another way shopping locally benefits the community is by boosting the economy. Studies cited by Fundera have shown that for every $100 spent at a locally-owned business, $68 stays in the local economy. That's compared to only $43 of every $100 spent at a national chain store staying in the local economy. So, when you're out doing your holiday shopping this year, keep in mind that your spending choices make a big difference when it comes to supporting your community's economy.

Fostering Community Connections

Shopping locally also benefits the community by boosting community connections. When you shop at locally owned businesses, you are more likely to run into neighbors and friends. This encourages conversation and builds relationships between members of the community. These connections are what make communities strong and vibrant places to live. So next time you need to pick up a gift or some groceries, consider patronizing a locally-owned business instead of a big box store.

Business Cross-Promotion

Local businesses can also benefit the community by supporting each other through cross-promotion. When businesses promote each other's products and services, they create a symbiotic relationship that benefits both parties involved as well as the larger community. Cross-promotion helps businesses reach new customers while also strengthening ties between businesses within the community. So if you're a business owner looking to give back to the community this holiday season, consider reaching out to other local businesses and seeing if there's an opportunity for cross-promotion.

Joint Marketing

In addition to supporting each other through cross-promotion, businesses can also benefit the community by working together on joint marketing initiatives. By pooling their resources, businesses can create marketing campaigns that have a bigger impact than they would be able to achieve on their own. Joint marketing initiatives are also a great way for businesses to build relationships with each other and show their support for the community. If you're interested in exploring joint marketing opportunities with other local businesses, reach out and start a conversation.

When you’re working on marketing materials with another business, the message will need to be coherent, which is where PDFs come into play. Joint marketing with another business is made easier when you work with PDFs, which allow you to combine with those of your partner(s) when two or more PDFs are merged. This task is simplified when using a tool that combines PDF files, a process that takes just five steps. Once completed, you can download the PDF for all to share.

Giving Back to the Community

Finally, businesses can benefit the community by giving back directly through philanthropy and volunteerism. There are countless ways for businesses to give back, so there's sure to be an opportunity that aligns with your company's values and mission statement. Giving back not only makes a positive impact on those who receive help from your business, but it also makes your employees feel good about working for a company that cares about making a difference in its community. If you're looking for ways to give back this holiday season, consider reaching out to a local nonprofit or charity organization and see how you can help.

This holiday season, commit to shop local as much as possible. By doing so, you'll be benefiting your community in more ways than one. From promoting job growth to boosting the economy, shopping locally has several positive effects on the community. So next time you need to pick up a gift, consider patronizing a locally-owned business instead of a big box store. And if you're a business owner, there are also plenty of ways you can give back to the community this holiday season. So reach out to your neighbors and fellow business owners, and see what you can do together to contribute to your community this holiday season!

If you’re ready to grow your business with the help of great local resources and partnerships, join the Hopewell Prince George Chamber of Commerce.