As a woman who needs to make a significant portion of her income on this weaving and jewelry business, I am truly thankful for the people from hundreds or thousands of miles away who buy my products from my website.
But as a member of a small, rural area, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of spending our dollars locally, supporting local businesses. Having spent most of my life working in the not-for-profit sector, I can assure you that the overwhelming majority of support for service agencies comes not from the big box stores, but from the mom & pop businesses. They are there for the community time and time again. Economists have proven the benefits of $$ recycling locally. So I have long made it a commitment to get my new pliers from Friendship Hardware, my groceries from the Cuba Giant, and my gas from Miller and Brandes, three local stores, instead of the huge multi-state retailers that are nearby.
Ginny, a fellow member of New York Crafters, wrote a great blog post about buying locally and/or handmade. And her reuse-the-bag project is interesting, too.
Your turn: when do you succumb to the draw of the bright lights and endless rows of displays, and when do you run in the opposite direction?
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