With current market conditions, it has become increasingly cheaper to buy distantly produced merchandise–even despite the increased cost of packaging, transport, inspection and other associated production and transfer expenses. However, while minimally cheaper prices offer obvious monetary benefits, they often reflect a lack of adequate, personalized service as well as having significant repercussions on the environment. Overall, this type of commerce is damaging to the economic wellbeing of your community. According to eLocal.com, “Throughout the United States, only about 33.6% of the revenue from national chains is re-invested into the community, which is very low compared to the 64.8% return from local businesses.” With the opportunity to buy merchandise from just about anyone offering it thanks to the Internet, as well as large corporations who have a presence both online and in large community outlet stores and warehouses, it is crucial to create awareness of the many benefits that local businesses of all varieties can offer their patrons.
JB’s FatBoy is a local business that offers a variety of barbecue sauces and seasonings. Their customer’s benefit from keeping their business local by knowing the company and the people they are dealing with on a personal level. More often than not, if you are dealing with someone local you can be sure that you will be provided with good customer service, and JB’s FatBoy is no exception! If you have any questions or issues with their products, they have a local number instead of an ‘800’ number and will provide a prompt response or solution. You may even receive a call or email from the owner himself, Kirk Malzer. Malzer emphasizes, “We are not, nor do we ever want to be a .99 cent bottle of BBQ sauce. Our sauces and rubs are regarded as an “enhancement” in all of our grocery store chains and merchandised in the meat departments of those stores. We feel that we provide a superior product that gets superior results. For example, our sauces are made with a low water base. This means that can be used during the cooking process and will caramelize on top of the meat instead of running down the sides into your grill or after cooking like most traditional sauces.” He adds, “Buying local and supporting local companies is extremely important for our economy. Everything is related in some way. When you buy local you are not helping a huge corporation to buy another jet or line the pockets of a CEO. You are helping to buy dance lessons, baseball cleats and birthday presents. You are helping your neighbor make their mortgage or car payment. When you do have to spend your hard earned money, your first option should always be local. Not only did you get something that you needed you helped someone in some way and that just makes you feel good. You never know, you may need the same from them at your business someday.”
Play It Again Sports is a full line sporting goods dealer that carries name brand items in both new and used condition. They are a franchise, which means the Lincoln store is under local ownership and operated by Diane Hesson. Play It Again Sports purchases sporting goods from Lincoln area residents, and are very particular about the quality of the items that they bring into their store as they re-sell them back locally. They are a unique business based upon their used culture, and as a locally owned business they have the ability to reduce pricing on new and used items based on the customer’s needs and their trade of other quality used equipment. This means they want your used items and they want to save you money, so there is a mutually beneficial relationship that simply doesn’t exist online or from larger corporations or retailers. Hesson states, “We want to make sure not only that there is ‘life’ left in the pre-owned equipment, but that our customer’s safety needs are met as well. We have trained staff on hand to help correctly fit our young athletes. We’re concerned about how our customers walk away from their experience with us and want to make sure they feel welcome, even excited to come back for another shopping experience. Whether it’s our store or another sporting goods dealer in Lincoln, you can’t buy that type of customer service online. I’m a firm believer in supporting OUR economy. I would rather send a customer to the shop down the street if I can’t fill their needs, rather than see them buy something on line. Supporting OUR economy translates into supporting OUR community.” She adds that sometimes people are so enamored by the Internet that they forget about the overall effects that shopping online can have on a community. Tax dollars are a real thing, and even though we might not all agree how they are allocated, used or misused, we need them to make things happen. The more solid a community is, the more opportunity that exists; not only in jobs, but growth for our city. Shopping local plays a large part in keeping those dollars HERE, so that Lincoln and its surrounding communities can prosper.
When buying or building property in Lincoln, there are plenty of benefits to keeping your projects, and therefore your money, invested with local companies. J.R. Knopp represents Third Generation Builder, which is a locally owned and operated family business that builds homes in Lincoln and the surrounding areas. Knopp also works as a Realtor for Nebraska Home Sales, which is another locally owned and operated company. Therefore, both of the services he personally offers to Lincoln residents, as well as the businesses he represents, benefit the Lincoln community in all aspects of buying and building local real estate. Third Generation Builder also provides jobs locally, as they subcontract jobs to local workers in various trades. Additionally, all of their profits stay in Lincoln, so everything is spent within Lincoln and thus benefits the people that live in Lincoln. Knopp emphasizes that what distinguishes his companies from others offering the same services, that are owned by out of state investors and shareholders, is that very few are locally owned so they focus on their relationship with their customers throughout the entire buying and building process, as well as having a wealth of firsthand knowledge and experience of the local housing market and available resources.
Good Life Imprinting & Advertising Specialties provides promotional product services from start to finish. Owner Mindy Lubeck can literally put your logo and business information on any item under the sun, but also offers assistance in finding the perfect items that will appeal to your target market and create brand awareness. Lubeck offers personal, one-on-one service and can provide samples so that you can make sure the item is satisfactory before you order, which is definitely a benefit to keeping your business local with her company. Lubeck says, “My customers benefit in many ways when keeping their business local. I provide personal service and have a personal interest in the Lincoln community. I’m a member of many local groups and organizations and give back to the community in many ways. Online retailers have no vested interest here.” She explains that when going online, your selection of items is based upon what the internet company determines to make available. Lubeck can offer much more than a simple product to her clients, providing ideas based on your needs, goals and budget, and also offering her experience, creativity and personalized recommendations. These types of added value are not available online, where you are just a simple “buyer.” Also, when you order online, you have no one to monitor your order and deadline. Lubeck adds, “Many people think that buying promotional products “locally” and having a personal sales representative will be more expensive than doing it themselves via the internet. As local businesses know, this isn’t always true. I personally look for items on sale and browse clearance or closeout items that can significantly stretch a budget. And in rare cases, if something is wrong with an order, that person has my direct number to correct any issues. With an online retailer, you’re likely to get someone who doesn’t care about your order, or get someone different with every call.”
While most funeral homes obviously do business on a local level, some are corporately owned. Lincoln Family Funeral Care is locally owned and provides all services associated with funeral care, including full traditional and cremation services, memorial and reception services, living funerals, celebrant services, and pre-need consultations in addition to being a local resource center for consumer education. Vicki Newman, owner of Lincoln Family Funeral Care, says that what distinguishes them as a local business is they are more affordably priced and offer a greater variety of personalized services to clients and their families. They listen to each family and help them create an individual service that is truly about their loved one—not just a standard service that’s the same as any other except for the name of the deceased. They have over 30 years of experience providing services for Lincoln families, and are able to use that experience to create memorable goodbyes. Newman is a native of Lincoln, and she has watched many businesses open and close throughout the years. She notes that what is most important is that as a city, entrepreneurship is encouraged so that residents have the opportunity to create thriving businesses that stay local and therefore support the local community that has facilitated their growth. They take the honor of providing services to the Lincoln community very seriously, and are thankful to the families that have chosen to entrust them with the care of their loved ones.
Local businesses can also offer a wealth of different products and services tailored to their area of business, instead of streamlining their focus based upon quantity. Eakes Office Plus is an excellent example, as they offer office supplies commercially, but also offer office furniture and design and both sales and support for copiers, printers, multi-function printers (MFP) and business process software. They have local sales specialists and service engineers in each specialized area for consulting, yet one check can be written for all services. Monte Rasmussen, Managing Partner for Eakes Office Plus, highlights that local firms control how they refuel the economy with their donations, expenditures, and who they do business with; whereas national chains do not have full autonomy as to how much and where these funds actually end up. He adds that buying local keeps the dollars recycling in our own communities. In an Andersonville study of retail economics, of every $100 of spending with consumer chain firms, $43 remain in the community whereas if that same spending occurs in a locally owned firm, the same value of spending jumps money remaining in the community almost 70% to $73. Eakes thanks all businesses that think local first, and also everyone that recognizes the fact that local companies and readily competitive and can match or even offer more than national companies.
Sarah Mullins, owner of Hallow Candle Company, adds that “buying local isn’t just a way to find fun and creative products – it’s giving someone the ability to build their dream and potentially employ others while doing so. It is very heartwarming when you realize that every purchase you make from a local company is a personal gift to those in your community!” Hallow Candle Company is a one stop shop for locally made soy candles, goat milk soaps, reed diffusers, jewelry, accessories, and home décor. The best part is: It’s ALL from Nebraska businesses – so every dollar stays local! At Hallow, they’re not just supporting Nebraska by keeping their business local, but also supporting our neighbors, friends and family who work and live here. Their products are unique, high quality and made with pride by hand. Mullins says, “At Hallow we always use the highest quality materials for our candles, soaps and spa products, natural ingredients as much as possible and never use artificial preservatives–making all of our Hallow products good for you, for your home and safe for your family!”
Andy’s Appliance Repair, Inc. is another great example of a local business that truly cares about the community they work in. The mission of Andy’s Appliance Repair is to provide quality customer service that restores order to their customer’s homes. Andy’s also prides itself on providing a safe and stable work environment that their employees can be proud of, and have found success by upholding their reputation for being honest, trustworthy and dependable. Tanner Andrews, owner of Andy’s Appliance Repair, emphasizes that keeping your business local ensures that you will have access to timely service, personal communication, additional resources and a guarantee that specifically covers all services performed. Andrews says, “Our company utilizes technology that enables our technicians to be more efficient and better at their profession. Our technicians are electronically dispatched, which means they leave from their home and can get to their first call between 7:30-8:00 am. This provides our customers with an early timeframe, which is more convenient for many people. Our clients also receive their receipt via email, which saves paper and at the same time makes it easier to find if they need it later on. Our website also provides the option to schedule online. This isn’t just a request, you actually pick your day and timeframe and it is automatically in our schedule. All of our technicians have laptops so they can access online resources to help diagnose and repair appliances, as well as hook the computer up to new appliances to diagnose them. One of our biggest selling features is our one year part and labor warranty. The local standard is 30-90 days, but we don’t feel that is adequate and we stand behind what we do, so we provide a full year.” He adds, “All of our technicians are trained, educated and specialists in appliance repair. Many national companies or utility companies have technicians that do a little bit of everything. With today’s appliances that doesn’t really cut it anymore. Most modern appliances have at least one computer board in them, and many have 2-5 boards. This requires technicians to be trained more often and to be more specialized. We provide both. Being a Factory Certified service provider means we have access to extra training and online resources that allows us to stay up-to-date on all of the changing technology.” Andy’s not only cares about the quality of work they do and their customer’s satisfaction, but they are also invested in serving the local community. They give back by contributing to food drives for the Lincoln Food Bank, Omaha Open Door Mission and People’s City Mission, and also work closely with the Friendship Home and Child Advocacy Center. Andrews says, “Being able to give back to our community is very important to our company, and is also part of our Mission Statement.”
According to eLocal.com, if the people of an average-sized American city were to shift 10% of their spending from chains to local businesses, it would bring an additional $235 million dollars per year to the community’s economy! That is a significant amount of money that could be staying local to support the Lincoln community. We all play a part in whether our economy thrives by making conscious decisions about how we spend the money we work so hard to earn. There are plenty of advantages to keeping your business local, and we encourage you to always consider ways to support your local economy!