At BasketWorks, we’re all about supporting small businesses and building community. I mean, jeez, we’ve been in business almost 25 years, so we can speak with some authority on this!
Not only do small businesses support each other, but they can give a community the uniqueness that reflects its personality and welcomes visitors. Small businesses bring prosperity to communities both financially and by building relationships among its members.
Today, we take a look at how this happens.
Financial Advantage
As the little guys and girls, small businesses can have a big impact on local economies.
Local businesses tend to leverage other local businesses to fulfill their needs. You see, it doesn’t always have to be a dog-eat-dog (or cat-scratch-cat) competitive world. Whether it’s a restaurant buying produce from the farm down the road or the local web designer outsourcing graphic design work to a power partner, when entrepreneurs support each other, the entire community wins. BasketWorks walks the walk by referring other basket companies when the need arises.
It’s not just an increase in business done locally that provides a financial advantage either. All these transactions between businesses lead to:
- Keeping taxes local
- Increased employment and income
- Improved standard of living
- Increased discretionary income inside the community
Community Identity
Small businesses tend to reflect the ideals of the communities in which they operate.
Becoming representatives of their communities allows these businesses to cater to the specific needs of the local customer base, creating a true relationship between the business owner and their customers.
Take us, for example. BasketWorks is a member…hold on a second…forgot to sound the 🚨SHAMELESS PLUG ALARM🚨. Where was I? Ah, yes, member. BasketWorks is a member of the Northbrook Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the GOA Regional Business Association, which further connects us to the communities we serve. With local founders, small businesses truly reflect the local culture, and as a result, can contribute to that identity in a meaningful way.
This is a benefit for both businesses and customers. It encourages the owner to cater to their local client base, and this, in turn, encourages the customer to shop locally and build a relationship with local entrepreneurs.
Environmental Impact
How a business operates can have a significant impact on the environment, and small businesses tend to focus more on how they affect the environment by doing the following:
- Recycling
- Using fluorescent or led lighting
- Paperless documentation like email receipts
- Using sustainable products like printer paper, cleaning products and to-go containers
- Composting
I will take this opportunity to pat ourselves on the back and note that we recycle all of our incoming boxes, and we use clean fill in the bottom of baskets, including packing peanuts we receive in shipment and the bits of cello we cut off the top of the wraps.
We also accept clean packing materials, we’ve installed LED lighting in our office, and we make a concerted effort to order products within 500 miles to reduce our carbon footprint. We can’t leave out composting. Rather than toss coffee grounds (from our daily nectar of the gods) and fruit peels into the garbage, we compost them.
Small business is good business. Small business owners are truly the lifeblood of their communities by helping their local economies through job creation, tourism, and supporting fellow businesses.
Please subscribe to our blog post and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.