For me, a great local neighbourhood is built on lots of small, independent businesses, all owned by passionate entrepreneurs who love what they do, and importantly, also know that what they sell is needed by local residents. I am a great believer in supporting small independent businesses by shopping local. Imagine what your local neighbourhood would look like if it didn’t have its independent coffee shops, hair and nail salons, restaurants, petrol stations, corner stores and boutiques. It would be lacking in that community atmosphere, it wouldn’t provide all the things we need and want in our lives each day, and it wouldn’t be creating jobs for local people. Remember, small businesses generate the majority of new jobs in our communities, so having lots of small businesses that are thriving is a big deal. They contribute to the lifeblood of our communities and local economies in so many ways. When we published the results of our South African Women Entrepreneurs Job Creators Survey in July this year, the real impact of women business builders in addressing the jobs crisis in the country was an eye-opener. Our research found that women entrepreneur respondents in our survey were employing on average 29 employees, the “typical,” or median entrepreneur employed five staff, while the top 1% had a thousand or more employees. Those numbers add up to real impact where it is needed most, creating jobs for local people who need them to support their families and communities. So, as consumers, we can make proactive decisions to shop local, to support our local independent businesses run by entrepreneurs who want to make a difference to their local economies. As women entrepreneurs, we need to lead by example, and shop from one another, encouraging others in our communities to do the same. Let’s lead the way and start a local shopping revolution!
Have yourself an inspired entrepreneurial day! — Melanie