46 Amazing Reasons to Support Small and Local Businesses!

support small and local businesses

12/15/2021

Danielle Alvarado

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support small and local businesses

One of our greatest missions in running Sustainably Kind Living is to support, cheer on, and collaborate with sustainable small and local businesses that are putting in the work for a better tomorrow. There are so many reasons to love small and local businesses, and we are going to kick off this party with 5 of our favorite reasons!

Why should I support small and local businesses?

1. Small and local businesses are the lifeline of every community! Unlike the big corporations, small businesses “pay their dues” (taxes) which trickle right back down to the community.

2. Many amazing small businesses honor timeless traditions and crafts that would be lost if we let the big corporations take over.

3. Small shops bring true creativity and originality to the World!

4. By supporting your local small shops, you are helping to feed and nourish your neighbours as well. It feels good knowing where our money is going – into the hands of our community and out of the hands of Billionaires.

5. Each time you support a small/local business – you are funding a better tomorrow.

We decided to ask the artists and creators themselves!

I could go on and on about why we love supporting small and local businesses, but why not ask the sustainable, small, and local businesses for their own unique and honest answers? Our team reached out to over 50 of our favorite sustainable, small, and/or local businesses and had a blast getting to know them just a little bit better!

These quotes are straight from the heart and soul of small business owners – may we know them, love them, support them and encourage them – today and forever after.


Now, 41 Amazing Reasons to Support Small & Local Businesses!

1. “While small business may not have the lowest prices and widest selection, they are usually companies with lots of heart and a deep care for their customers. Something Amazon, Walmart and most big companies can never replace.” Vivek George of The Sustainable Coop Store. 

2. “When you support small, the benefit is exponential. You help a family, a town, a city be able to grow from the inside. You allow for one person’s dreams to become a true reality.” Kellee Soderman of Ancient Earth Soaps.


3. “As a small business owner it makes my day when I receive an order. In a world with so many choices, I’m honored when shoppers choose to shop with my small business. It’s so important to shop small and support the creatives because when someone shops small they’re making the conscious choice to support real people with big dreams…and helping make these dreams a reality. Consumers have the power to put their money where their values are and help small businesses thrive. And how cool is it that you can support dreams and families while buying awesome products? By shopping small you’re investing in communities and the greater good.” Emily of Give A Damn Goods


4. “Small businesses are usually more responsive to customer feedback, so you can suggest improvements (like recyclable shipping materials) to make sure your purchase aligns with your values!” Aubri of Rebrand Skincare

5. “I would say it’s so important to support small businesses for many reasons, including the fact your money isn’t going to another billionaire. As a small business owner, every single order is greatly appreciated and noticed. You’re supporting real, genuine people with real dreams, that have put their blood, sweat, & tears (& their own money) into these small businesses.  It’s important to put money into small, local businesses instead of the already wealthy, large corporations who don’t need another dime.” Laura Santiago-Moyer of The Conscious Glow Boutique


6. “Your small shop purchases have an impact on your life, the lives of others, and livelihood of small businesses like ours to keeps our doors open. With the pandemic hitting small businesses equally as hard, we want to thank you for choosing to shop with us, to shopping small & supporting local this season.” Nadine Woods of Mayana Geneviere


7. “Small businesses provide the feeling that a real person is behind it all, someone who cares more about giving a quality product. A person who cares and knows about each ingredient that is in that quality product, over just taking your hard earned dollars.” Jennifer of Earth Body and Love

8. “I’ve worked designing products for mass production for a few different companies and one thing that has always amazed me is how many people selling mass produced items don’t even know anything about their own product or customer. When you buy from a small brand, you’re not only buying their product but also their time, knowledge, research, emotion, and dreams that they’ve put into each item sold. When you purchase something mass-produced, you’re typically showing support of a corrupt system of low wages, environmentally harmful production methods, and are funding a channel of singular wealth.” – Elizabeth McGrath of Dirt and Dog Hair


9. “We are the bread and butter of the world’s economy and the underdogs who are walked all over, but we are the only ones that seem to care about the future of the planet. We are often under valued and under appreciated because of big brands that exploit the world’s resources and its people just to make a quick buck. It’s why small brands like mine struggle to make a good living. People compare us to multi-million dollar brands and expect us to be able to offer low prices and high discounts but it’s just not viable. It’s a war. Us versus them. They destroy and pollute and we are left to clean up their garbage. Literally.” Deborah Breen of Wilde Mode


10. “I like shopping small and sustainable businesses because I know my purchases directly impact the owner and their life. Plus, it allows them to continue their mission of sustainable and ethical production.” Brady Sanders of Dress Code PHL

11. “Behind every small business is a person, or perhaps a family, with a dream, or a need.  So supporting a small business means helping real people who put their heart and soul in something they believe in.” Melinda of Be Ambiance Candles


12. “Our kids do a dance when they hear the beep from an order!” Carley of ZefiroWaste


13. “With small business purchases, you are helping neighbours get food to feed their families. You are also supporting the community by giving your neighbour a chance to offer a job to local residents.” Sari Sime of D’light Eco Party

14. “Supporting small business means supporting your local community. It guides your community to be more sustainable and it gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to succeed. When you support small businesses, you put smiles on the faces of your neighbours.” Lennard Taylor of LennardTaylor


wander love jewellery

15. “When you shop small, it means someone is able to pay the bills that month. someone who is trying to attain a quality of life that doesn’t include stepping on others to make billions. small and sustainable contributes to communities and supports all of us, in turn.” Eryn Kleyh of Wander Love Jewellery


16. “Where is there a more perfect intersection of supporting real people and caring for the planet? We can repurpose our precious resources while simultaneously supporting a mom’s dream, sending a kid to school, or helping a family with a much-needed car repair. It’s giving back more than you’ve taken; it’s caring for your planet and your fellow human. Shopping small and sustainably is the best of both worlds.” Jennifer Essary of Hickory & Elm

17. “A small business values happy customers, more than the numbers (revenue, profits). And that relationship goes a long way!” Namrutha of Upcyclie


18. “Supporting small and sustainable businesses isn’t just good for your community, it’s better for the planet. You’re reducing transportation which is a smaller carbon footprint, the amount of waste created by packaging, overall time, and better quality meaning you will need to buy less.” – Sarah of Eco Mammaco


19. “When you shop small, products are made in smaller batches, meaning true time and effort are put into the making of a quality piece. Each piece supports a dream, a family, and a story.” Melissa Harris of Penny & Oak Boutique

20. “People should shop small and sustainable so that they can contribute to the collective greater good. As more people shop for Sustainable brands we will be able to make it the “new normal” as opposed to a novelty/niche offering.” Caeresa Richardson of Ecodessa


21. “As a newer brick and mortar business owner, having people support my business over more convenient or “normalized” corporate coffee shops means the world. It’s quite literally the only way we stay afloat. Not only is it supporting my business, but it’s giving life to the local economy, connecting neighbors with neighbors, and allowing us to give back into the community as well. Truly a win, win, win situation.” Liv of Simple Coffee Co and Liv_Youngs


22. “Shopping small builds community and community building IS sustainability. Social ties are the root of our physical and emotional health. In order to solve climate change and create earth conscious local economies, we need to band together and support the small businesses that support those local community economies.” Dagny of The Cottage Peach

23. “My favorite reason for supporting small business is knowing there’s another actual human on the other side. I know that my dollars are going further when I’m supporting that human; it’s being reinvested into communities, supporting organizations doing good in the world, and helping a family pay their bills. It gives me the “warm and fuzzies” and I know that small business owner on the other side is infusing so much love and excitement into my order. You can’t beat that!” Krystina Jarvis of A Drop In The Ocean


24. “Because corporations are destroying the planet, profiting from slave labor, and brainwashing us to buy more than we need—and as a consumer you don’t want to support that. Right?” Santiago Rodriguez Tarditi of Intu Rituals


25. “When you support small business, you are actually not just shopping with a brand, you are collaborating with them. Small businesses have the unique ability to work WITH their community instead of just for and I think that’s really special.” Jess of Free Label

26. “I feel that people should shop small because these small businesses will recognise you by face when you walk through that door. It matters to them if you buy with them or not and they will always value your support. They consider you their friend and not a customer.” Dodo Pakshi of Dodo Peedika


27. “When you shop small, you’re not just supporting someone’s business. You’re supporting their passions, their time, their energy, their creativity and their love.” Joy Alvarado of Joy’s Velitas


28. “When you support a small business, you are supporting so much more than the business itself. You are supporting the people & mission behind the brand! Small businesses are not solely driven by profits, but instead is mission, quality, and person to person connection. You can be sure when shopping small that you will be treated as a human being, rather than a sale! Furthermore, when shopping small AND organic, you can be sure the people behind the products are treated kindly and fairly, as well.” Rachel of Zesst Organics

29. “Sustainability matters because it reduces the climate inequality between the biggest polluters – who are most responsible but least affected by climate change – and the marginalised communities… who are least responsible but are most affected by climate change.” Claire of Kindomshop


30. “Shopping small and local business is SO important, especially during the holiday season, because so many small businesses rely on this time of year to get through the quieter months of January, February and March!  Small business do SO much for our communities and by choosing to shop from them instead of Amazon or other large retailers you are putting your money behind your ethics and actively choosing the type of world you want to live in – a world with fair wages, ethical manufacturing, supported employees and sustainable business practices – which is pretty darn powerful!” Kaitlin of Silver and Gold Clothing


31. “Shopping small and local is so important because it’s the best way to support local jobs and supply chains, creating a healthier economy in your region or country. It also creates a much smaller carbon footprint from transportation, even more so if sustainable materials are used. Another hidden benefit is that it allows skills to be retained (specialty manufacturing methods, knowledge of machinery, etc) that could otherwise be lost to outsourcing.” Claire of LA Relaxed

32. “Every dollar we spend, every purchase we make, is a vote towards the type of world we want to live in. When you shop small & sustainable, you’re casting a vote for a world that honors the wellbeing of our community and our planet.” Dani of Lasso


33. “Folks should shop small, sustainable, and local whenever they are able for so many reasons! Most of the time – small businesses are the ones pushing for inclusion – they are more likely to be owned by woman, queer folks, people of color, disabled folks – instead of giving your money to another incredibly rich, white, male CEO. Small businesses can offer items that corporations can’t, with customer service that is unmatched. They listen – you can actually reach out and talk to them! And there is not a single corporation in the world that is less environmentally harmful than a small business. The list of reasons is endless.” – Mallorie Dunn, SmartGlamour, Customizable Clothing in Sizes XXS-15X and beyond


34. “The world is interconnected. One individual’s purchase can impact a community across the world. That is why I shop fair trade and sustainable fashion. “ Katie Schmidt of Passion Lilie

35. “Our small business, Forigin jewellery, uses Fairmind gold and silver which supports accredited mines that pay fair wages, offer education and health care and we have stringent regulations to ensure land, sea, animals and humans are considered in our practices, namely no mercury or cyanid being used and health and safety standards met. The metal we use is traceable and we are certified as a Fairmind small business. Supporting small and sustainable means supporting the values that care for the Earth.” Ruth of ForiginJewellery


36. “Supporting small businesses supports someone’s dreams and the many hats they wear. It make a direct positive impact in their life and the lives of artisan partners. As a bonus, you will take home something unique that has a story behind it!” Dixy Valdez of La Villa Goods


37. “By supporting small/ local/sustainable businesses you are supporting real people who are dedicated to supporting their communities and the planet. You are supporting real people (and not an impersonal corporation) who take great care to provide originality and a personal touch in a world that has become increasingly more impersonal. It is an act of empowering people that are dedicated to keeping our planet and community thriving.” Kate of WVN

38. “Small businesses put so much love and care in everything we do. One order means so much more than 100 orders to a corporation. It’s our livelihood!” Vanessa Acosta of Wasi Clothing


39. “Supporting a small business and a sustainable business is like achieving someone’s dream, while making our planet a better place. ” Oge of Oge Ajibe


40. “As a small business, Plaine Products had the flexibility to create a new circular model – which means less waste in the world! It’s harder for large businesses to make those changes because they have established supply chains. So by supporting small businesses you support innovation and new ways of buying that make a difference for our future.” Lindsey McCoy of Plaine Products

41. “When you support small and sustainable you are directly helping contribute towards a better world. When you purchase from The Good Tee, a portion of our sales goes directly to struggling organic cotton farmer’s who often live in poverty, extreme debt and are struggling to survive. Your support means so much.” Adila Cokar of The Good Tee


Would you like to add another reason to shop small to our amazing list? Comment below!

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  1. Frances says:

    What a great article! #12 was my favorite, and I can’t wait to dive into all of the links for each shop!

  2. Hanna says:

    Love this article! I agree with supporting the small businesses that’s why I always buy local x

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