When a consumer supports local business owners, they enjoy benefits that they can’t possibly get from shopping at national chains. Here are some top reasons to support your local entrepreneurs.

 1. Improve your family’s health. Buying local foods has numerous health benefits to your family. When you buy from local farmers, you have access to fruits and vegetables that you know are chemical free, as well as grass-fed meats, fresh eggs, and dairy from cows that feast on local green grass each day.

 2. Improve the local economy. When a consumer buys local, significantly more of that money stays in the community. Local business owners often have incentive to support other local businesses, patronizing local establishments for both business and personal reasons.

 3. Know the people behind the product. When you personally know the people behind the business where you’re buying local products and services, you enjoy a connection you would not otherwise have. Along with the rest of the community, you celebrate when a favorite local business succeeds and you mourn when it’s forced to shut its doors.

4. Keep your community unique. Local businesses give a community its flavor. Towns across America have similar chain restaurants, grocery and department stores but that diner down the street where you have breakfast every Saturday morning is one-of-a-kind.  By supporting those businesses instead of chains, you ensure that uniqueness is preserved as a part of your community.

 5. Better customer service. If you’ve ever dealt with a large corporation, you know getting help can be a nightmare. You’ll call a 1-800 number, only to be transferred seven times and put on hold. Even when you speak to a customer service representative, that person is so far removed from the decision-making process, there’s little concern that the company will lose you as a customer.

 6. More personalized service. Having the owner nearby also means that owner personally knows their customers. They know the products you buy or the services you request on a regular basis and can tailor services to make your experience even better.

Buying local has benefits beyond mere convenience. When you support local business owners, you get a better level of service, as well as helping make your community a better place to live.