Shop Locally This Holiday Season to Support Your Mount Dora, FL Community

The holiday season is upon us and that means it's time to start thinking about our gift list. Instead of heading to the big box stores, this year let's commit to shopping locally. When we do, we're not just getting great gifts for our loved ones, we're also supporting our community. Here are a few ways shopping locally benefits the community according to the Mount Dora Area Chamber of Commerce.

Local Shopping Adds Jobs

When we shop at big box stores, the majority of our money goes to corporate headquarters, which could be located anywhere in the world. But when we shop locally, our money stays in the community, promoting job growth. In fact, according to the 3/50 Project, for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. So when we shop locally, we're not only supporting local businesses, we're also supporting local jobs.

Local Shopping Boosts the Economy

When we spend our money at locally owned businesses, Visit Vortex notes that those businesses are more likely to reinvest that money back into the community. They may do so by hiring local talent, using local suppliers, or giving back to local charities. So this holiday season let's do our part to boost the economy by shopping locally.

Local Shopping Fosters Community

When we shop at big box stores or online retailers, we miss out on opportunities to connect with our neighbors and build relationships with local business owners. But when we shop locally, we have a chance to chat with the owner about their products, get recommendations for other local businesses, and learn about what's happening in our community. These connections are what make our community strong and vibrant.

Local Businesses Can Give Back to the Community

While shoppers can do their part to support the community by shopping locally this holiday season, businesses also have a role to play. One way businesses can give back is by donating a portion of their sales to local charities or causes. Another way businesses can support the community is by hosting events or workshops that offer valuable information or resources to locals.

Local Businesses Can Support Each Other Through Cross-Promotion

Another way businesses can support each other—and the community—this holiday season is through cross-promotion. For example, a retail store could promote a nearby restaurant on its website or social media channels and vice versa. By promoting each other's businesses, both companies can reach a wider audience and drive more foot traffic to their respective storefronts.

When you’re generating marketing materials for your cross promotions, using a PDF is a smart move. PDFs can be efficiently used to post offerings on your website and social media, as well as through email marketing. When working with another business to come up with a marketing approach using PDFs, find ways to update the document, such as adding or deleting the unneeded pages, splitting into multiple PDF files, or reorganizing the PDF. Because this is easily done using an online tool in just eight steps, the stress of maintaining the co-branded materials is mitigated. 

Local Businesses Can Support Each Other With Joint Marketing Efforts

Yet another way businesses can support each other—and benefit the community—is by teaming up on joint marketing efforts. For example, several businesses could pool their resources to create a holiday gift guide featuring items that are available at participating stores. By working together on marketing initiatives like this one, businesses can reach a larger audience and drive more customers to their doors.

This holiday season let's commit to shopping locally as much as possible. When we do, we're not just getting great gifts for our loved ones—we're also supporting our community in three important ways: promoting job growth, boosting the economy, and boosting community connections. So before you head to the mall or click on an online retailer this holiday season, take a moment to see what's available from your favorite local shops!