It’ll be a big help in restarting your local community.
A licensed veterinary nurse and advocate for veterinary patient health shares his thoughts on the value of supporting small business over big box stores.
If it’s one thing that all of us have learned during the past two months of sheltering in place, it’s how to shop online. Now, In the best interest of our community, I’d like you to unlearn that habit.
My name is Bash Halow, a licensed veterinary nurse, business author, and advisor. I try to help privately-owned veterinary practices stay competitive against big box stores and online retailers so that all pet owners have access to local, caring, treatment options for their pets.
Provide Personalized, Genuine Care
If you’re reading this, you probably already appreciate the individualized care that your local vet provides you. If your pet’s veterinary practice is locally owned, then its doctors, veterinary nurses, and support staff members know you and your pet by name, and likely have worked with you to personalize a treatment plan that’s right for your pet and your budget. They have been there when you called for an emergency; been there to answer your questions; and been there to hug you during tough times. They have shown you and your pet that they are generally invested in your wellbeing.
The Money You Spend Locally Stays Local
As a small business in your town, your local veterinarian pays local property, business income, and sales taxes that go directly back to your community to support its infrastructure and residents’ welfare. They employ workers, all of who live, shop, and invest locally.
For every dollar you pay a local veterinarian to care for your pet, forty-three cents of it is paid to local employees as wage. Another five-to-ten cents of your spent money goes to pay for the retirement accounts, health insurance, and continuing education benefits that the practice owner offers to those employed.
Many online retailers and big box stores mean to restart or build their businesses by offering pet owners loss-leader pricing on popular pet products like food, flea or tick prevention, and heartworm medications. But when you buy at non-locally owned businesses, almost 60% of what you spend leaves your community and your tax base.
Michigan State Praises The Community Benefits of Small Business
According to Michigan State University, locally owned businesses offer up a host of distinct benefits to communities:
- When healthy, they employ more than 50% of the population.
- They outspend non-local businesses in the amount of wages that they pay and the amount of other local goods and services that they purchase.
- Their charitable donations-per-dollar-earned is 4-times-greater than stores like Wal-Mart.
- Shopping at local businesses encourages walking and living more in the community, reduces carbon emissions, and gives citizens a chance to meet and better know one another.
- They give a community a unique look and make up a significant part of a town’s character.
Please Support Your Community By Shopping Local
If your pet needs food, flea or tick medication, heartworm prevention, or any other service or product, please check with your local vet first. Local veterinarians are trying as best as they can to offer great service and pricing and still have enough revenue to keep their staff members safe and well paid, and their facilities clean and modern.
Perhaps the product or service your pet needs is a little more expensive at your local veterinary practice than you can find elsewhere, but remember that proportionally more of your money is staying local helping to revive and save your community. By supporting local businesses you maximize your contributions in helping your town get back on track to happier and more stable times.
Remember, shop at stops owned by moms and pops.
And please feel free to share if you support the idea of helping our local businesses remain strong!