5 reasons why supporting independent creators is good for your soul
Going out on your own is a hard thing no matter what. Going up against corporate powers that can chew you up for breakfast without a second thought is even harder.
A small business owner has her work cut out for her at every turn for years. It’s a challenge filled with tears of joy as much as tears of frustration every day of the year. But we do it to offer you a choice, an opportunity to connect with your community. And becoming the patron of a small business has a profound effect, not just on you, but on other people connected to that business.
Because this is something I’m so passionate about, I’ve put together this list of reasons why it’s good to support small and local businesses.
Yay, supporting small businesses matters to you!
This means, you don’t 🚫 want things that…
- fill your home and life with objects designed to fit every home out there,
- are mass-produced so that everyone can have the exact same stuff, or
- get thrown out simply because there’s a new trend in town.
And you do ✅ want to…
- look at a piece and remember the story behind it,
- know that someone created it with love and attention to detail,
- get unique pieces you can’t find in big chains, and
- have a direct impact on the success of a business.
When you want to give your home a little love, upgrade your t-shirt collection or send a thoughtful gift to your BFF as a pick-me-up, you want to do it in a way that is good for your heart, good for the earth and good for your soul.
You’re my kinda people, you are!
Reason #1: Choosing to support an independent business is an act of respect
When you buy small you acknowledge the tremendous risk and challenges that are inherent in starting your own business.
Independent businesses are run by people – not by boards, stockholders or algorithms.
I focus on the tiny little details of my work and strive to be the best I can be, not the next market I can expand into or the next round of funding I need to secure.
You get a different kind of care and quality in the products because my work is a reflection of myself.
Small businesses represent the creative consciousness and we contribute tremendously to the unique identities of communities everywhere.
Reason #2: We bring originality into a world that’s becoming increasingly homogenised
It’s in these small businesses where the real innovation happens because that’s where things are moving forward.
We generate the most interesting concepts and new ideas because we have to adapt quickly to survive.
We don’t thrive unless we look after our customers and put out the best we can offer.
By supporting a small business, you’re making innovation possible.
You’re directly putting money into funding great ideas and ventures that can only exist outside of the mainstream, corporate chains.
Reason#3: Small businesses feel like home ❤️
An algorithm will never be able to…
- Tell which entrepreneur has a solution that is based on the same personal struggles that you’re going through right now.
- Say how many hours of learning, testing and failing went into getting this skill, product or design to a point where it’s just right.
- Serve you with the heart and compassion of an entrepreneur working to contribute to her community.
The relationships created between customers and the people that work in independent businesses frequently go beyond just purchases – they become like family.
Small businesses are the fabric that holds our communities together, and one of the things I most love about having a business is being – not just in – but of the community I serve.
You can feel when someone really cares about their fellow humans and when the work is meaningful to them. And you can feel it when what really counts is shareholder value.
Reason #4: Small businesses are authentic, original and we care
Want a feeling that there’s a person behind it all? Someone who cares more about giving you a quality product or service than simply taking your hard-earned money?
Then you need to buy small because when you do, you’re helping real people – who you may know personally – do what we do better.
This is where genuine, not-watered-down creativity lives and, in favouring us, you’re supporting the true reflection of the person behind it.
What could be more fulfilling than being a contributor to the realisation of someone else’s dream?
There’s something special about knowing that someone created this thing to uplift other people – and by choosing that you’re support everything you love about the world.
Reason #5: A lot of heart and soul goes into starting and running an independent business
By buying small, you’re appreciating my passion for delivering you a piece of my imagination and my courage.
It’s important to support people who put their heart, soul and last pennies into something they believe in.
When you support independent creators there’s a feeling of shared responsibility and ownership because, by that act of buying from me, you’re showing that you are invested in our shared community and its future.
More than that – you’re taking proactive steps to ensure that our community survives and thrives.
And above all, when you buy small, you get authenticity and heart as you’ll never see from the big chains.
This is your opportunity to support a one-woman business!
Having a small business has enabled me to be where I love, which is in my studio creating.
Not only does creating feed my soul. But with my art, I also get to make people happy in a small way by giving them an oasis of joy in their everyday life.
This work is my nine-to-five and I do it to pay bills, buy groceries, pay rent and cover living expenses. Not to buy a third holiday home in Aruba that I never visit or fly a phallic-rocket into space.
I can’t ask for a better life than being able to make a living doing what I love and work from home so that I’m available for my family.
My goal is to inspire you to find your true inner power and cast that soul-shining light of yours on others – go spread some mother-effin’ beauty and empathy in this crude world.
I don’t want you to simply practice your power, I want you to become it, embody it, and wield it to change your life and the world around you. And all you need to make that happen is YOU.
Thank you for being here. And thank you for being you. ❤️
