If you know me, you know I’m a huge advocate for shopping small and with people I know. Actually, it goes beyond shopping. I mean, my family doctor delivered me into this world and I’ve been banking at the same, local bank for over 18 years. And it’s because I believe you have so much power and influence in how you spend your money.
When you give your money to a business for a product or service, you are doing more than just purchasing a product; you are telling them that you support their business AND that businesses’ behavior. And vice versa when you intentionally do the opposite. And there is so much power in that my friends. I’ve seen so many people complain about businesses lately and every time I think the same thing-- if you want them to change their behavior, stop supporting them. It’s that simple and the true beauty of capitalism. When at times we seem like our voice is so small, we forget how much power we have in our spending of every single $1.
But it goes beyond just the power in supporting/changing behavior, by intentionally supporting small businesses you help to create a unique and eclectic community not only consumed by big box stores and you support your neighbors and friends; both in which only enhance the quality life in your community.
Now listen, I know it’s a necessary evil to support big box/corp. I mean, I’m too spoiled to give up my iPhone and Amazon Prime, even though I know me shopping with Amazon is to my own demise as a small business women’s clothing store owner. But over the years, I’ve tried to be so much more intentional in my spending and always try to buy small first before resorting to Amazon or Target.
And by small I do mean local businesses. But I also mean my friends who are direct sales reps and even buying used.
And I want to address some pushback I often hear on all:
Don’t be scared away by price. So many people will tell me, “I can’t shop at your store, $50 for a sweater is too expensive, $89 for jeans is too expensive.” And I get that. I also used to say the same. Then I realized three things once I started selling those ‘expensive’ things.
 |
| (Me selling those expensive things) |
You truly get what you pay for. Yes I can go to Target and buy a $30 pair of jeans but I can assure you they will not fit, feel, look, and last like our $89 jeans. I’m all about quality these days.
Do I need 5 pairs of $30 jeans or just one or two pairs of good quality jeans that I know I’ll actually get my use out of and LOVE? I’m less about quantity these days.
The markup on those Target jeans are probably 10x that of a boutique’s jeans meaning Target is making bank off of you buying them versus that small boutique. On top of that, at my store we carry some of the same brands as places like Madewell and we’ve sold the same item for a fraction of the cost than Madewell in efforts to make our product more affordable to our people.
If you are intentional, you likely won't spend more overall. I am a clearance shopper and have been guilty in buying clothes that I didn’t love just because it was a good deal. And what happened? I either wore them once or twice, realized I didn’t love them and tossed them. Or worse, they either hung in my closet, still tagged until I decided to get rid of them to make more room for more clothes I probably wouldn't wear but got a good deal on them. And I can’t help but wonder, how much money would I have saved if instead of buying tons of things I didn’t need and instead just invested in a few staple pieces that I know I’ll love and wear? I don’t think I want to know that answer. 😀 Now does that mean I don’t peruse the racks of TJ Maxx and Marshalls? Of course I do. They are a couple of my favorite places to shop, especially for kids clothes. I’m just more intentional. That is the key.
Give Direct Sales a chance. Most people are completely on board with shopping at local businesses but I often hear some pushback when it comes to trying products from a direct sales company. So much of what I consume comes from MLMs-- my probiotics, some of my makeup, my skincare, my shampoo, and so much more. Are these products any better than what you can find at a Target or Walmart? I don’t know because Target and Walmart sell soooo much, I don’t know where to start, don’t have time to try it all, and would they allow me to return them if I didn’t love them? My guess is no. With direct sales, that solves so many problems for me. I love a review on a product by someone I know before I buy it. I love someone being an expert in the product who can tell me all about it, show me how to use it, and answer any questions I have about it. And I love the fact that I can return the product if I don’t love it.
Only buy things you are in the market for. You should NEVER feel guilted in buying something you don’t need. Just because a friend has a store, is a consultant, or is hosting a party to sell a product, you should never feel obligated to buy. Now if you want to purchase a small something to show your support, that’s fair. But be intentional. I was in the market for a pair of simple earrings since my big earrings (if you know me, you know I love ‘em) don’t always go well with masks. Instead of picking up a pair from Target, I knew I had a friend who sells Plunder and waited until she had a pair that was what I was looking for. I didn’t feel obligated, it wasn’t an impulse or splurge, it was something I had on my list to purchase. It was a win win for both.
Buy used. Last but certainly not least, normalize buying used. My husband introduced me to this concept on a whole new level years ago when he purchased used Paw Patrol toys for Tot for her 2nd Christmas. He did it because he is cheap :) but after I thought about it, I was like why hadn’t I thought of this? And it’s because we’ve been told that buying used is cheap, when it’s really not. It’s so sensible. First, that used toy was no different than a new one except it doesn’t have the wrapping on it which she just would have ripped off and trashed anyways. Also, think about how much plastic waste we eliminated by buying used and how much money we saved? After that, it was a no brainer. And now I shop Facebook Marketplace like I used to shop Amazon Prime. 😀 I mean, check out this fake tree I scored for $15.
We have so much power in how we spend our every $1. If you think, ‘ I don’t spend enough for it to matter.” As a small business owner, I can assure you, every single dollar spent at our store has a bigger impact than you can imagine and means so much to us. Probably a whole lot more than big box. 😊
