Think local: Think downtown Florence!

By: Laura Ivie
Staff Writer
August 10, 2011

Have you visited downtown lately? If not, then you're missing out on all it has to offer.
Downtown Florence does indeed provide a place for great food and shopping, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. I was speaking with a friend recently and was reminded that there is more to downtown than meets the eye. My friend experienced a plumbing issue and instead of going to one of the big box stores to tackle the issue, she stayed within her downtown community and gave her business to a local store. By doing this she was able to make a positive impact within her community. How, you might ask? Well, locally owned businesses generally make use of other local services, such as a bank; they provide more in the way of income and jobs to their local community and tend to be more accountable to the local area. According to the 3/50 Project for every $100 spent in a local business, $68 is returned to the community by way of taxes, payroll and various other expenditures. If that same amount is spent in a big box store the amount returned to the community is reduced to $43; and when items are purchased online none of that is returned to the local economy. The positive impact to the environment is another consideration when thinking of buying locally and this is due to reduced fuel consumption, as this reduces how far shoppers have to travel.

Locally owned businesses also tend to know their product a little bit more than a big box store and can generally guide you to what you need in a timely manner, rather than wandering all over a store that can be up to 250,000 square feet.

So, next time you need something, be it copy service, a toilet, a photographer, a new door or window, a wedding dress, or something as simple as an ice cream cone, think local: think downtown Florence!