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Let's summarise 2020 so far as a flaming refuse receptacle, with a lot of very strong lessons we should all be learning from and changing from. OK? OK. (There is so much I care about, but this isn't the blog for it) You should know that I always extoll the virtues of supporting small businesses, but during this year's mess I've realised the value of a whole extra angle - Yes, it really does make you feel good to support small. There's a mix of things in this, so let's have a dig into it! It's become a popular saying that when you buy from a small business, an actual person does a happy dance. That you are validating a dream, supporting a vision. Plus, your purchase helps pay for someone's education or rent, and not for a CEO's third car. Also you're putting money into the economy, rather an off-shore tax dodging account. But what do you personally get by buying from a small business? Well, you get choices which chain stores and major online sites just don't offer, which often can be personalised, or even designed to exactly fulfil your wishes. Usually small businesses give you an attention to detail and quality you won't find in mass produced items. Increasingly, small businesses are enviromentally minded, telling you about their choices, rather than just making charity donations to greenwash their appearance. That's only three of quite a few benefits to you shopping small - even if it's just the occassional birthday card. During the recent few Bizzaro months I 've noticed that when I choose to shop small, each step of picking the item, paying, reciving it, is much more of a lift than "off-the-shelf" purchases. For example, I pondered why I was willing to pay more for local cake than at the supermarket, and reliased it's layered (like the cake! eyyyyy!) I'm choosing a cake I know is made with quality ingredients, is genuinely tastier than mass made, it's not been shipped around warehouses, my purchase has helped someone escape their depressing job, and has enabled other local people to be employed. That's a lot packed into a piece of cake. Looking at this, I've come to believe that a big personal benefit to supporting small is the emotional boost. Knowing you've made an informed choice, spent your money wisely, own a unique thing, helped a designer launch an idea, given a special gift - Each individual benefit relates to feeling a little, dare I say it, superior. A mixture of satisfaction with yourself and shared joy with the small business owner. And it doesn't matter how small that purchase is, it feels just as good. So rather than the cheap and brief rush of off-the-shelf satisfaction, take a little more time to look around, delve into what shopping small can offer you, and then wallow in a greater set of both benefits, and emotional boosts. A few of the lovely businesses I have supported these past few months are in the image above, and their details are:
Spread: https://joyfulandmellow.co.uk/ Star cat print: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/InspiredNottingham Friend Mug: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/CWPhotoArt Knitting card: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/DawnyDTDesigns Brownies: https://www.facebook.com/lushlayers/ Flower card: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/CharlieCollisDesign Cheerleader: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RosieIllustrates Butterfly puzzle: https://www.facebook.com/BenaberryProducts/ Rainbow Cake: https://www.facebook.com/tylerstearooms/ Cats print: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Doodlesworth
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