We are here to share with you some simple reasons why supporting local has such a profound impact on the community you’re a part of.

The local bakery or handcraft shop creates more jobs locally for the community and even in some sectors, may provide better wages than the chains offer. This keeps unemployment levels to a low and at the same time – improves the local economy as well. One of Buddyz’s core values is supporting local businesses and communities whereby we believe in contributing to the local economy but supporting independently owned businesses to gain an authentic experience seeing through the local’s eye and taking you to off the beaten path. Setting you up with a local guide that is passionate about their country and knows the city like the back of their hand! Not only does this boost the local economy by increasing job opportunities, it also improves the experience you’ll get as a traveller. It’s a win- win situation!

Have you ever walked into a locally owned business and chatted with the owners? Nobody is as passionate as the brains and creator behind the business. So you don’t only get to hear the stories of how their ‘baby’ was brought to life starting from just an idea, you’re also getting to know the values and meaning behind the product and brand. By simply purchasing an item, your support fuels their dreams and could further inspire more entrepreneurs.

Imagine walking through one of the local neighbourhoods in the country you’re visiting and stumbling upon all these cool businesses, it adds character and charm to the local area. Being travellers ourselves, we love chancing upon small neighborhoods that have more interesting things and stories to offer - we’d pick that over a generic bus tour any day!

Small business owners love what they do and value the relationship with their customers. Therefore customer service feels more genuine and personalized. You can feel the warmth and passion as soon as you walk through the front door. Wouldn’t you rather walk into a local business where you’re treated with one-on-one care, than a boring old franchise that shows you little to no service at all?

Now, we’ve said enough about the reasons why you should support local businesses and the benefits of buying local, let’s go into the things you can do to support them.

This might be stating the obvious but the most clear-cut way of supporting local businesses is by buying their goods. Instead of heading to those big chains whether it’s a bakery, gift shop or restaurant, the best way of giving back to the local community is by eating and purchasing local products.

Another amazing way of supporting local businesses is by posting a picture on your social media platforms and leaving a nice review. Getting other travellers aware of the shop, whether it’s because they serve amazing pastries, or make unique handcrafted items, the local shop owners will definitely appreciate the thought of you helping them grow their business.

If the local business has social media pages, support them by following and liking their content! They’ve put in the effort to create content for their customers and we need to take the time to appreciate the work put in as well! This also ties in with leaving a review, if they have a social media presence, tag them in the reviews so that others will know where they are located and visit themselves!

Word-of-mouth is such an easy way of sharing good things with others. Let’s say you found an amazing local bakery that makes the best pastries, share their content and tell your friends and family about it! We’re sure they would appreciate finding a gem like this as well.

Lastly, signing up for their newsletters and attending their events goes a long way for supporting local businesses like these. Drag a friend or family member with you and make a fun filled day out of it! Keeping up to date through the local business’s newsletter lets you know if they have any exciting things happening in the near future whether it’s an event they’re at/hosting or even if they may have upcoming promotions!

Be sure to support local businesses whenever you can! And hey, tell us your favourite local brands in the comments section below.

______________________

Buddyz is a travel platform powered by locals, a.k.a. the most knowledgeable and interesting experts, the ones that know the country best! We want to encourage people to travel more meaningfully, to immerse themselves in local culture, and to connect with people from the places they visit.

So on our platform, you will find what we call ‘Experiences’ for every interest - ranging from cultural walks, intimate meals at secluded local eateries to creative workshops and classes. All of which are led by locals and are vetted for quality.

Sign up to our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and promos. It would also make us really happy if you can simply follow us on Facebook and Instagram, your support means the world to us.

If you like this article, share it to your friends and family on Facebook too!