ten great reasons to shop local

1. keep money in the neighborhood.
Locally-owned businesses recirculate more money back into the local community than chain stores, per square-foot occupied. A space filled with a local business rather than a chain puts more dollars back into YOUR neighborhood.
6. help out the environment.
Locally-owned businesses can make more local purchases, requiring less transportation, and they generally set up shop in commercial corridors rather than developing on the fringe. This means less sprawl, habitat loss, congestion, and pollution.
2. embrace what makes us different.
Ceres is a city of neighborhoods. Where we shop, where we eat and hang out -- all of it makes our neighborhoods home. By dyversifying our business community we make our city unique.
7. support community groups.
Non-profits receive an average 350% more support from local business owners than they do from non-locally owned businesses.
3. get better service.
In a local business, you know the person behind the counter and they know you. They have a deep understanding of the products they're selling and they take time to serve their customers.
8. put your taxes to good use.
Local businesses in neighbor-hoods need comparatively less infrastructure investment and makes for efficient use of public services as compared to nationally-owned stores entering the community.
4. create and keep good jobs.
Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally, and small business account for the vast majority of job growth. Locally-owned business are far less likely to pull up stakes and move operations to another city or country, taking their jobs with them.
9. vote with your dollars.
Studies show that if households redirect a higher percentage of planned holiday spending from chain stores to locally-owned merchants, local economies are positively impacted.
5. promote competition and diversity.
A multitude of small businesses, each selling products based on the needs of their local customers and not on a national sales chain, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.
10. invest in your community.
Local businesses are owned by people who live here, work here and are invested in the community with much more than just their dollars.