Now that 2020 is over and we’ve all breathed a collective sigh of relief, it’s time to turn our focus forward to 2021.
If you’re like most people, you’ve probably already come up with a list of resolutions. Hopefully, each resolution will help you achieve a greater level of health and happiness this year than you experienced in the past year.
But may I suggest a New Year’s resolution you may not have thought about yet? What if every member of our community made a resolution to support our local businesses more instead of the huge, international store chains?
What if we incorporate local businesses into our existing resolutions? Here are a few ways I suggest we do that.
If you have a goal to improve your weight, why not utilize the help of a local gym, nutritionist, or health and wellness center? There are plenty in our own communities. If you want to improve your posture or flexibility, try going to a local chiropractor or massage therapist regularly.
You’ll not only feel amazing after a few months of consistent appointments, but you’ll also improve mobility in your joints.
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to clean and organize my home. If you have a similar resolution, take advantage of local home cleaners and organization specialists.
These are often small businesses that rely heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations and may not even have professional websites.
If you have a hard time finding local cleaners and organizers using an online search engine, just hop onto Facebook or Instagram and look in your community pages. You can also ask community members for their recommendations for cleaning and organizing services near you.
When it comes to organizing your home, it can be hard to figure out how to dispose of old metal and electronics items. If you have old metal junk lying around, consider taking it to a metal recycling location. My husband and I recently got rid of our old freezer by taking it to a metal recycling company in Genola.
There are also local electronics salvaging companies that will take your old laptops, printers, and other unwanted electronics.
Finally, if you have unwanted furniture, flooring, or other similar supplies, consider donating them to your local Habitat For Humanity ReStore location. You’ll not only help the organization survive, but you’ll also help members of your community who may need to buy furniture and other home items second-hand.
You’ll do all this while also fulfilling one of your New Year’s resolutions. It’s a win/win situation!
It turns out there are many ways local businesses can help support your New Year’s resolutions. Try looking through your list of resolutions, then consider adding “shop local” to your list. (Peterson is a Serve Daily contributor.)
