We can all feel it… the little stirs of progress.  One by one, little by little, Rutland is coming up.  We’re all watching with cautious optimism, but there’s more we can do.  There’s something ALL of us can do.

Stop shopping on Amazon.com and at Walmart.

The internet is a wonderful thing.  It allows us to research products, compare prices, and buy things from the comfort of our homes.  It also puts local retailers out of business.

The holidays are coming, and here’s my challenge to you:  exhaust all possible local sources of gifts before buying something online or at Walmart.  Often you can pay less by avoiding shipping.  Use the telephone to call around to local retailers to see if they have what you want.  Shop early so they can have time to order it for you if they can.

Pay a little more to buy local.  Why?  Because that money helps to build a stronger community.  Did you ever think that if you pay a little more to make local businesses stronger, maybe they could offer lower prices in the future?  It’s true.

If you truly want a strong economy in Vermont, you MUST support local businesses as much as possible.  There is no other way.  Businesses can’t open or, if opened, will go under if you don’t spend money there.

Looking for local businesses?  Check out my Downtown Rutland Business Directory (still a work in progress).  Or the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce‘s business directory.  Or the Buy Local Rutland directory (which needs to be updated because Annie’s Book Stop hasn’t been around for a while).

You’ll be spending hundreds of dollars this holiday season.  Please spend the bulk of that money building a stronger Rutland.