by Emily Kane, Owner | Yogacara Studios, Whistler Village
Most people who come to Whistler aren’t moving here for a new job… the majority of us are in this town since we really want to be. Whistler is a truly unique destination; an amazing place to live, work and play. Living in this community gives us the opportunity to do what we love in the outdoors, whether you ski, snowboard, hike, or bike; there’s a little bit of something for everyone. I’ve had the opportunity to attend a few local networking events; Women of Whistler, Chamber luncheons, and Tourism Whistler meetings to name a few. Not only are there many entrepreneurs in Whistler, but many happen to be women. It’s made me realize how important it is to the overall well-being of our community to support local businesses. A Chamber meeting late last year highlighted this point to me, while giving concrete reasons for how it bolsters all of us.
ECONOMY
Keeping your hard-earned dollars in the economy allows businesses to make, and keeps jobs in our community. Keeping jobs locally promotes the circulating of wages, and typically keeps purchasing local as most businesses opt to purchase from local suppliers. At Yogacara Studios in Whistler, many of our decals, signs, and even our tea, all come from local companies.
ENVIRONMENT
Local businesses supporting other local companies will result in a reduced carbon footprint. Supplies won’t need to be flown, or shipped far to reach their destination.
CHARITABLE GIVING
LOCO BC is a non-profit organization who’s mission is to support local companies. They stated that local businesses give 5x more per dollar to groups in their community compared to their non-local counterparts.
There are a lot of choices when buying a product or service. Your decision has an effect on more than just product satisfaction. Although it’s important to see the value, your dollar spent has the ability to do much more. Use your purchasing power to support your community by buying local.