Small businesses and entrepreneurs are essential to the very fabric of our communities. We understand that because as a small business ourselves, we are also dedicated to our community, and very proud to be your neighbor. We believe good neighbors support each other, get to know each other, and work together to achieve success.
We’d like to take some time to talk about small business as it pertains to our communities and to PostNet. After all, PostNet was founded on the promise of providing small businesses and customers with high-quality printing and shipping solutions, as well as design and small business branding. Each of our franchise owners is focused on supporting local businesses and individuals in their community in order to help them succeed — and they do it on a first-name basis.
Over the next several months you’ll see a number of blog posts covering the topic of small businesses and how we, as a small business ourselves, support them.
Now is the time to show your support for your local business community. You never know what unique items you might find when you shop small — plus, your money will go toward helping members of your community. In this first post, we’ve outlined the important role small businesses play in our communities. Read on to find out!
Small businesses make a big impact — on both national and local levels. According to a study by American Express,1 small businesses in the U.S. (defined as having fewer than 100 employees) are responsible for $4.8 trillion of the country’s national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). If American small businesses were a country, they’d be equivalent in GDP to Japan, which is the third largest economy in the world!
Clearly, small businesses are a major player in the national economy. But they make an even bigger impact within their own communities. According to the same American Express study, for every dollar spent at a local business, 67 cents stays in the local community. Of that 67 cents, 44 cents go to the owner and employees in the form of wages and benefits, while 23 cents are reinvested in other local businesses.
[Learn how PostNet services keep small businesses running smoothly.]
Every purchasing decision you make affects the economy in some way. Because local businesses tend to use other local vendors for their needs, the money spent there doesn’t just support one local business, but also all the others who provide them with supplies and services. And when the owner and staff live where they work, more of their wages go right back to other local businesses, creating an interconnected support network that keeps communities thriving.
We’ve seen that cycle first-hand working alongside Darden’s Delights. Owners, Betsy and David, walked in the front door of their local PostNet in 2016 looking for some support from a fellow small business. Franchise owner, Kevin, welcomed them with open arms and got started right away. Since then, Kevin has worked hard alongside the Glass family to get their over 16,000 pies safely shipped every year. A local business supporting a local business, all while supporting the local economy. At PostNet, our customers come first. We don’t just ‘do business.’ We get to know you, even become friends, and sometimes indulge in a little bit of Darden’s pie, and we do it for the support of local businesses, the support of our communities, and the support of our local economies.
Small businesses help communities to stay more resilient. Having a smaller organization makes it easier for local businesses to adapt to economic changes by adjusting staff, changing product offerings, or tweaking their business model. Small businesses also have more direct access to their customers and a more intimate understanding of their needs. Having a finger on the pulse of a community means always having the knowledge necessary to adapt your offerings to please your customers.
One of our customers, Kevin, owns a Crossfit Gym in Lafayette, Colorado, and he knows first-hand how important it is to have his finger on the pulse of the community — he’s even responsible for raising those pulses every once in a while. He’s worked with his local PostNet for a number of years keeping his marketing materials up-to-date and printed. Just as we are there to support his local business, he, in turn, is supporting his local community. He often opens his gym up to local first responders to give them an outlet to workout, bond with fellow members, and feel the community support.
By being nimble and adaptable, small businesses are able to weather shifting economic tides and more effectively support their local community. Having a healthy local business community helps establish stability for towns and cities and build community. Every resident is more likely to flourish when small businesses are doing well!
More and more, people are becoming aware of how important it is to support local businesses. According to a survey by the National Federation of Independent Business, 2 91% of consumers believe it’s more important than ever to support small businesses, and 83% plan to do a portion of their holiday shopping each year at small businesses.
The reasons are clear. In addition to the economic benefits they provide, local businesses contribute to the character of a community. No town or neighborhood is defined by how many chain restaurants or big box stores it has. But communities become desirable places to live and visit when they have interesting, unique eateries, cafes, pie shops, gyms, and boutiques.
Maybe we’re biased — after all, PostNet centers are all independently owned local businesses!
Take Shelly for example. She’s been running her local PostNet since 2018, and in that time has developed deep, first-name basis relationships with her customers. Shelly takes time to understand her customers and treat them well, because, as Shelly says, “Kindness matters.” She makes it her mission to be a positive part of the small business community in her area.
Shawna takes the same approach at her PostNet location. Even her employees take on the first-name basis mentality. Her lead designer, Morgan, has a close relationship with one of their customers, Pineapple Kitchen, and works hard to ensure their small business continues to grow, evolve, and stay successful for their customers.
We believe that small businesses are a big deal, and that’s why we’re proud to help support them all year round by offering the essential services business owners depend on. We hope you’ll consider celebrating Small Business Week this year by visiting some of your local businesses. Your communities will thank you for it!
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