Last week I took a quick trip down to Newport, Rhode Island to speak on a panel Discover Newport was hosting. The crowd was full of local hospitality small business owners ready to learn about social media and how to work with social media influencers. It was a fantastic experience and a subject I could quite literally talk about for hours. Discover Newport is a wonderful organization with an easy to navigate website optimized to make your time in Newport the best time possible. So many recommendations and events are listed on their page!
During my visit I stayed at the Hotel Viking, an iconic historic hotel in the heart of Newport. They have recently modernized the lobby adding an incredible coffee shop, Hill Market, and their guest rooms are large and spacious. I particularly love where the hotel is located, right in Newport’s Historic district with gorgeous views of Bellevue Ave!
After the panel was finished there was lots of talk with all of the events coming up in Newport RI, and for the new small business owners to introduce themselves, or for any announcements. {By the way….did you know that Newport has over 1.3 MILLION daffodils planted through out the city??? LOVE! Also they have free trolley tours so you can see all of them in bloom – check it out!} It was such a lovely thing to watch as all of these creative, hardworking people came together to support and learn from each other.
Looking for a Newport Weekend travel guide? look in to this one. Thinking about exploring the Mansions? Read about them in my Architectural Series: The Newport Mansions! Or are you a foodie looking for all of the best places to eat? Check out my Newport, RI Food Guide.
Being a small business owner, and being part of a family that has small businesses I take EVERY opportunity I can to support them. And so should YOU! Here I’m giving you 5 reasons why you should support Newport RI {or any place) small businesses. While there are ton of reasons to support small businesses for the sake of brevity I’ll stick with my favorite 5!
Enriching the Local Economy –
Maybe this is a obvious but hear me out! You are helping the local economy two-fold because by you buying local it helps the small business reinvest in its community! Small local businesses share a much larger portion of their revenue with their local economy than any corporate business.
Innovation –
In a world of fast paced technology the arts have been overlooked. I could go on and on about how important the arts and creative souls are to this world, but for now the small business owners are the ones moving forward with innovation and creativity. As they compete with each other they are constantly finding new ways to bring you a high quality product that isn’t going to be overpriced. NOTICE I said HIGH QUALITY. { I was once shopping in Camden, Maine and overheard a conversation between two ladies, outside a particularly beautiful store, complaining about how “expensive it was” and where was the “cheap t-shirt” store. Let’s be honest, if you want a cheap t-shirt that falls apart after one wash go to walmart. But if you want a product that will last and was made with love swing into a small local business.
Keeps the Town Environmentally Friendly –
Walkable towns {think town centers, historic districts, and wharfs} full of local bakeries, coffee shops, gift shops, boutique hotels and restaurants with intricately designed storefronts not only create vibrantly beautiful streets, but lead to less cars and traffic, which leads to less pollution. Should I go on a rant about global warming….let’s move on.
The BEST Customer Service –
Have you ever been in a restaurant where the owner, or perhaps the chef came to your table to ask you how your meal was? It made you feel pretty special didn’t it? Also, if there was a complaint, the small business owner is going to do everything possible to make it better because it’s their reputation on the line. Even shopping in a local boutique feels like home because it is a much more personalized experience, and the owner really cares about their product and that you receive the best customer service.
The American Dream –
If small business doesn’t scream the “American Dream” then I don’t what else does. Having extremely hardworking, dedicated, imaginative, innovative people doing everything in their power to bring their vision to life and make a living from it is EVERYTHING that’s right with America. And I’ll be honest, nobody does small business better than New England. All of these quaint, charming New England towns that are featured in my blog are built on locally owned business. Some that have been in the family for numerous generations. These people put their blood sweat and tears into bringing you something unique while also supporting each other.
In Newport, and all of New England, when you sit down at a farm-to-table restaurant {Stoneacre Brasserie} that roasted chicken over a pile of succulent seasonal veggies – that came from a local farm. When you walk into a local shop with stunning handbags made from recycled sails (Maine Sea Bags) its a product made regionally. When you skip the starbucks and head to the local coffee shop, you know you’ll be greeted with a warm cup of coffee made of beans that the owner spent hours, if not months picking just the right coffee beans to set off the aromas that is going to make your morning. When you sit down at Newport Vineyards to try a wine flight take a look around at all of the jobs created, from just that single small local business.
I hope this post gives you more reason, or confirms your reason, to shop locally. Be supportive and help keep the American Dream going.
PIn for Later
I would like to thank Discover Newport for inviting me to speak on a subject I feel so passionate about, and to witness the incredible small business owners come together to make Newport, Rhode Island #TheClassicCoast
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