As a mom, and business owner, I’ve had the privilege and the challenge of working hard to provide for my family. As I sit and reflect on my almost 25 years in business at Maid For You,
I’m presented with all the challenges I’ve faced to the impact we’ve made.
There’s No Clocking Out
As an entrepreneur, you don’t get to clock out at 5pm. Any business owner knows this. If you have a brick-and-mortar business, you’re the first one in and the last one out for a LONG time until the business solidifies management, and even then you have to step in.
When your business doesn’t have a storefront, this looks like being in front of the computer before the business day technically starts, in the evening and on the weekends. You’re the HR department, marketing department, IT, and operations manager all rolled into one.
Sometimes it’s a lot. Sometimes the fantasy of working a 9-5 with benefits floats through my head. But you know what? Everything has a cost. The grass is never greener on the other side. You have to choose your hard. Me, I choose this every day and if I had to go back and start over, I would still choose entrepreneurship.
When you support a small business, a locally owned business, you’re supporting individuals who live and work in the community. Let’s break this down real quick.
First, small business doesn’t necessarily mean that you only have a certain amount of employees or revenue. Every business model is different. Maybe small is two employees, maybe it’s 22. Small businesses really means, you’re supporting individuals, individual families, and not large corporations whose profits go elsewhere rather than back in your own community.
Let’s Look At What Supporting Local Actually Does.
#1. It supports the individuals.
When you support a local small business, you’re helping someone pay for their kids to be in soccer, dance, ballet etc…..you’re helping that local business owner buy groceries, keep the lights on, pay their mortgage, and put gas in their car.
#2. When you support local, the money stays local.
According to fundera.com 68% of funds spent at a local business stay local. Most sources cite a similar number of approximately 70%. When you shop big business, only 43% stays local, also according to Fundera.
Let’s think about that. If you spend $100, $68 is going back locally, versus $43 from a large corporation. That difference is $25 out of every $100 spent! That adds up FAST! When you shop locally, that local business then pays local employees and owners, who then are buying groceries locally, gas locally, visiting local medical facilities, oftentimes giving to local charities, and patronizing other local businesses. Which goes full circle.
#3. Keep Main Street Alive!
If the Pandemic taught us anything, it’s the importance of community. We need to be together and in community. When we shop locally, local businesses can stay open. Closed down blighted storefronts are an opportunity for crime and take away from the sense of community and charm a place has. If every household spent just $10 more locally, that would infuse $9.8 billion dollars into the local economy. (Fact courtesy of Fundera.com).
#4 It’s better for the environment.
Raise your hand if you’ve purchased on Amazon in the last week. Guilty over here. I’m not saying don’t purchase on Amazon ever again, but what if you bought less on Amazon, or Walmart.com, etc…? We create huge CO2 emissions from shipping and logistics when we’re buying online. You know all those Amazon boxes are just piling up in people’s garages waiting for the next garbage pick-up. Yes, you can recycle them, that’s assuming they actually get recycled and not put in a landfill as well. Besides, isn’t Jeff Bezos rich enough? But maybe your purchase besides reducing how much we tax the environment will help your neighbor stay open another month or make payroll.
#5 Local Businesses Give Back
Here at Maid For You, I’m a HUGE believer in giving back and supporting local charities. I see it affect individuals in my community firsthand. Some of the charities I’m proud to support and donate to monetarily or by providing free cleanings include Bake Ability in Holicong, PA, The Breathing Room Foundation, in Elkins Park, Cleaning For a Reason, and now Kin Wellness in Furlong.
Giving Back Promo
This is the part where I share our special Giving Back Promo for March. In the month of March, new customers who sign-up for a Top To Bottom Deluxe Cleaning, will get 5% of the cost of their service donated in their name to either The Breathing Room Foundation, The Cancer Support Community of Greater Philadelphia at Gilda’s Club or Kin Wellness. New customers who sign up for recurring maintenance service with their Top to Bottom Deluxe, will get 10% of their cleaning donated in their name to one of these organizations. You choose which organization where you’d like to donate.
Each of these incredible organizations helps local cancer patients. The Cancer Support Community of Greater Philadelphia at Gilda’s Club provides personalized support to patients in all aspects of their cancer journey; The Breathing Room Foundation supports cancer patients along with their families by providing cleaning services and a variety of other services; Kin Wellness is an integrative health and wellness retreat center in Bucks County providing integrative services, fitness, yoga and support to Bucks County residents battling cancer, regardless of whether they are receiving treatment, as well as serving patients’ families and caregivers.
Get a free quote and book your service to get clean while giving back! We look forward to working with you and supporting our local community!
With Love,
Lisa