(506) [and beyond]

Supporting local businesses might seem like a simple concept. After all, you never know

where life could take you, and you could end up being that neighbourhood lemonade seller,

crochet artist online, or even real estate queen in your small town. Still, supporting local

businesses is immensely important to the global economy, but the smaller reasons (other than

compassion and “staying true to your roots”) are not often discussed.

Business magazine Forbes lays out seven reasons to support local businesses in their

June 28th, 2022. They are - 1. The stimulation of local economies, 2. The reduction of carbon

footprints from reduced transportation needs, 3. The creation of more jobs, 4. Giving back to the

locals (through local taxes), 5. Closer and more effective customer service, 6. The promotion of

innovation and growth, and (quite uniquely to the United States) 7. Supporting the American

Dream. Every one of these major reasons to look local (perhaps baring no. 7. - supporting the

American Dream) is visible in the global economy in one way or another. Whether in Kampala,

Uganda, or Ushuaia, Argentina, people and companies all have roles in keeping the world afloat,

and developing it, however small those contributions may be.

A study conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business determined that

66¢ stays in the local economy when you buy from a small business, compared to only 11¢ when

buying from a chain. When asked to guess, participants in the poll thought that 37¢ stayed when

shopping from a chain, and 38¢ stayed when shopping from a local store. The gap is only one

cent, though the participants, on average, still believed that local companies helped their areas

more than large chains.

New Brunswick is Canada’s only bilingual province (with French and English) and

therefore has a unique identity, mixed with English, Acadian, First Nations and expatriate

perspectives when it comes to business. First Nations people (like the Mi'kmaq and the

Wolastoqiyik peoples) offer both traditional and modern products and services all across the

province, providing local communities - both rural and urban - with invaluable services. The

Joint Economic Development initiative has an extensive list of the First Nations businesses on its

website, providing an excellent directory for all that might be looking for a trusted service from

and for local New Brunswickers.

Another unique business scene in the province is the café scene. Since moving here, I

have seen so many new cafés opening up - mostly in N.B.’s largest towns. Two of my favourite

ones include the Bubbly Cup in Saint John, and Café Seoul in Fredericton. Both of these

companies are run by amazing people who stay true to their crafts. Bubbly Cup is run by Eunice,

who often vlog’s about their experiences running a café, and still often hand crafts drinks - all

year-around at their permanent location on Prince William Street, and on Sundays in the summer

at the Queen Square Farmers’ Market (where the business originally started). Café Seoul is run

by an awesome couple from Korea - Seungho Kim and Seulah Jang. Their story is laid out in

many interviews, and tells how Jang was unfulfilled with her career in flight, and Kim always

wished to open a café, leading them to finally do so in the inn owned by Jang’s parents, in

Silverwood.

Stories like Café Seoul, the Bubbly Cup, and countless other small businesses that come

from different backgrounds really show you the power of local businesses in their local

economies. These are just examples from New Brunswick, where I live, but I am certain that

there are local businesses you have not even heard of in your area. I encourage you to seek them

out, and who knows, perhaps you will be the next queen of your trade in your tip-top town

tomorrow.