Local Business Survival Is In Crisis, And It’s Never Been Easier To Support Them.
Supporting Local Business in Time of Need
by Mathura Hawley
As we get vaccinated and ready to return to life outside our homes, we must remember the effects of COVID will continue to roll through this year and into years to come. Small businesses, the lifeblood of our communities, are back to peak levels of closure. There are no corporate bailouts for Mom and Pop, and when a small business closes there are ripple effects not only on the rest of the local economy, but on the access of marginalized groups to get basic staples, healthcare and hope for the future.There are already so many good reasons to support local business. For every $100 dollars you spend locally, $68 stays in the community, vs. $43 from chains. Local jobs account for 65% of all new jobs consistently for the past 17 years. Small companies are more directly involved with local charities because the owners and the workers live there. It’s also important to remember that small businesses leave a dramatically smaller carbon footprint vs. big chains, without the massive overhead costs and shipping waste.
COVID forced small businesses to go online and update their ways of shopping and communicating with you. Search engines now automatically find what you’re looking for closest to you, without the need for more information. Small businesses are forming cooperatives and collaborations, finding strength in numbers. Limitation caused innovation, and it’s never been easier to get what you need from your own community.
Even bigger than this, the world is now a network of local communities to which you have access. You can order online or go in person on your own block, or go online and support a community thousands of miles away. Yema is a brand whose founders have strong ties to their homelands of Kenya and Ethiopia, both in the authentic designs of their clothing and in the passion and commitment they have to give back. SOKO is a woman-led, people-first ethical jewelry brand built to connect artisans in Kenya with the global market. ONE432 is a clothing and footwear company that shares 50% of their net profits from each unit sold between their female artisans and children’s education in Pakistan.
D.O.B was created with this purpose. We will give you access to sustainable, inclusive and local brands you may have never heard of. We will give those brands, their creative designs and their causes access to the D.O.B community, people like you who care about making informed and ethical choices when you shop. Be part of the change. Join us.