Let’s Do Business - Locally

"This year, buy from the people who have your kid's back."

I saw this in a blog I read recently about shopping locally during the holiday season. It makes a strong case for supporting local businesses. The people who have your kid's back are the businesses whose name you read on the back of their shirts on the Little League and soccer fields, at the ice hockey rinks, in the gyms and anywhere else our kids may be involved in sports or other activities for that matter. 

Without local business support, many of these activities either wouldn't exist or would be prohibitively expensive, leaving many kids on the sidelines. 

Admittedly it's tougher than ever to shop locally, given the competition that local retailers face. From big box stores like Walmart and Target to internet giants like Amazon, it's all to easy just click a few buttons and wait for the truck to pull up to the house.

But if we think for a moment about the impact of our local purchases, it might move us to be more conscious of where we spend our money. You all know by now that money spent locally stays in the region. Local retailers employ local residents and they pay much needed commercial tax revenue to our communities unlike online retailers. And again, they are the ones who have our kid's back.

I encourage you to think about this as we head into the holiday buying season and of course throughout the year. You may pay a little more at times and you may have physically go into a store, but you can feel good knowing that your purchase is benefiting more than just the store owner.

On a related note, you can meet 100 local businesses in person at next week's "Let's Do Business" Expo at Gillette Stadium. There's no cost to attend and you'll be exposed to business from more than 40 communities in five Chambers of Commerce. Governor Charlie Baker will speak briefly at the start of the event at 3:00 and then spend some time visiting with our exhibitors. There will also be visits from Pat the Patriot and the Patriots cheerleaders and a business after hours will begin at 5:00 at which there will be appetizers and a cash bar.

Again, the idea is to meet your fellow local business partners and build relationships that benefit us all and promote local commerce.

I hope to see you there.

Tom O'Rourke
President and CEO