Now, more than ever, it's imperative that our community support small businesses, and one of the ways to do that is to buy local.
There are many reasons why it’s better to invest in your community by shopping local (as opposed to larger box store or online) whenever possible. And that includes services, like graphic design and printing, just as much as tangible goods like groceries or gifts. Here are three great reasons buying local should be on everyone’s mind.
- Buying local helps keep your community diverse, promotes local jobs, and creates more product selection. If you’ve ever noticed that big-name chains are popping up everywhere, local stores have been closing, or the same products keep ending up on your pantry shelves, it’s because money is being filtered away from your community when you buy from those big-name brands. Large corporate brands promote themselves and their brands, not necessarily your neighbors or your family.
- When you buy products or produce from local markets or grocers, the money that goes into those products is most likely recycled back into the local economy. It filters to schools, art classes, local restaurants, and more. According to well.org, if you were to spend $100 at a chain retailer, only $43 remains in the community, versus the $68 that remains when you buy local.
- Buying local helps the planet in a lot of different ways. When you buy products that are “cheaper” from other countries, you have to include all the distance traveled that product accumulates to arrive at your store. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University realized that if Americans bought local products, they could reduce their carbon footprint by five percent. That’s because the merchandise from your local store has traveled, on average, 1,500 miles to get from the company to your home. That’s a lot of miles, and they really add up!
There are a lot of goods and services that you should consider when buying local, but one you might not have considered is graphic design and printing. AMA Design & Print in Valparaiso is an excellent local choice when it comes to printing locally. They are locally owned and operated, which helps filter money to the local Valparaiso economy, and they offer personalized service.
“Customer service is much, much better with local printers than online, bulk service, or big name printers,” said Kelley Schott, the owner of AMA Design & Print. “Here at AMA, we are willing to work with our clients—we’re here to see that everything turns out right and make a client happy.”
Schott said that if for some reason you have a problem with an order from a big chain or online service – like a smudge or incorrect amount of product - big-name businesses might not be as willing to work with the client to make sure the final product is perfect. Smaller businesses are different – there aren’t as many corporate layers to navigate and they want to see you leave happy.
“We’re all about the customer and their final product—we want to work with them on the price to produce a print they’re happy with, and with the same quality as the big names. We work one on one and see you as a person, not a number or just a name.”
Working locally with AMA Design & Print allows you to see your prints in person before taking them home. That means when you leave the store, you know what you’re getting, and you know you won’t be surprised by any dissatisfactions. The only surprises will be the money you’ve saved and realizing you did your part to help the local community.
For more information about AMA Design & Print check out their website at https://printama.com/index.html.
