The holiday season, and the modern kickoff to the shopping season on Small Business Saturday, is an important time to support local shops, restaurants, lodging, and professionals in the Mad River Valley. Yes, it's stick season, and that is all the more reason to get out and get into the unique businesses that make The Valley special.
The Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce provides support and an online roadmap to local businesses, along with a portal to plan a shopping expedition on www.madrivervalley.com.
Did you know there are over 35 food and drink providers in the Mad River Valley, with everything from takeout meals, to dine-in restaurants to nationally-awarded specialty food sellers? Likewise, the madrivervalley.com shopping channel has over 40 businesses listed, with everything from sunglasses to snowboards to sweaters to spas. And the index of professional services and providers has 18 different categories, all staffed with local expertise by your friends and neighbors.
There have been many studies done on the financial upside of shopping locally, but perhaps the most important one is this: it is estimated that for every dollar spent locally, it generates $2 to $6 more dollars of economic activity in the area. That multiplier occurs because local business owners are likely to spend that income within the community, as well, perpetuating the chain. Not only are local businesses job creators, they are employers, taxpayers, creative incubators and the backbone of support to community fundraising efforts. And, of course, they are also your neighbors.
Compare that to the faceless corporate entity, which removes the bulk of that money from the local area and sends it off to wherever the corporate headquarters are located, leaving behind only the fraction paid to the local delivery person.
Small businesses are the lifeblood of The Valley. They are where you can find a locally-produced whiskey to wind down your day or a locally-grown smoke to relax. They are also the ones who are working on a powder day to sharpen your skis or wax your snowboard.
This holiday season, stop into that store that you’ve driven or walked by many times and never stepped into, visit a restaurant that you’ve never been to, and consider supporting a local professional who offers their services here. There is a lot of concern about the loss of, and potential loss of businesses in our Valley. The best way to combat business closures is to keep them busy and thriving.
And the bonus is that you will be happy you shopped with your neighbors, supported your community, and found a way to give a gift with a unique local twist.
Ueberbacher lives in Waitsfield.
