Shop Local: By supporting family businesses, we’ll all get through this together

Ron Schaming
Managing Editor
schaming@courieranywhere.com

As Hardin County begins to emerge from beneath the cloud of COVID-19 with the help of the accelerating nationwide vaccination program, it’s more important than ever to support our local businesses.
That’s why the Feb. 25 edition of The Courier includes a special 24-page magazine focusing on why supporting those businesses makes good economic sense and is just the right thing to do.
Many local businesses have taken a financial beating over the past year and some are on the verge of having to close their doors for good.
Grassroots entrepreneurs and mom and pop restaurants, shops and services are the lifeblood of this community.
These hard-working people are our friends and neighbors. We see them cheering the home team at high school ballgames, on the river and lake fishing and skiing and sunning, in the checkout at the grocery, depositing their checks at the bank, and giving thanks in the pews at church.
They’re preparing and serving the food we eat, mowing our yards, maintaining our homes, fixing our cars, cutting our hair, finding well-made clothing to put on our backs, taking care of our teeth and health needs, and providing the necessities of life. They’re even reporting the local news and helping other small, family-owned businesses market what they have to offer.
Friends and neighbors help each other, and right now there’s no shortage of folks struggling to just get by. And when we help locally-owned businesses, we’re helping ourselves too.
According to the American Independent Business Alliance, for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 remains in the community. Conversely, only 43% of every $100 spent at a chain retailer stays in the community.
Plus, small businesses are more likely to go the extra mile to keep their customers happy and coming back, especially in small rural communities such as Hardin County where reputations are important.
So support your friends and neighbors, shop local, leave the biggest tip you can afford, and we’ll all get through this together.