“Shop small” and “shop local” have been phrases being thrown around a lot. 2020 has been the year for small shopping and for good reason. Covid-29 has left thousands of small businesses struggling to survive. There are lots of empty storefronts where those mom-and-pop places used to be. Rightfully so, locals are troubled to see this and many shoppers have made a strong effort to shop small.
When we think of “shop small” and “shop local” many of us think of those cute little boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. These businesses matter, of course, but there’s a lot more to small shopping. Think beyond clothes, dinners, and coffee shops. It’s great you’re going to Dunbri’s Dessert Café (Haymarket) rather than Starbucks, because one needs your business a lot more than the other. However, where are you employing your services from?
Small businesses are also carpet cleaners, floor installers, HVAC technicians, plumbers, and electricians. These places are also suffering during Covid, especially those who do commercial work (like us!).
When homeowners have a plumbing, electrical, or HVAC issue, they often turn to the big guys first. I don’t have to name them, you know who I’m talking about. It’s not that these huge corporations are bad, but they are already flourishing just fine without the extra business.
Also, there’s something to be said for supporting businesses in your own town; it’s putting your money right back into your community. These local companies are your neighbors, your friends, even sometimes your family. Small business is what America is all about and it feels good to support that dream.
When it comes to local service providers, trust is also a huge bonus. Often, people are nervous about getting ripped off by big air conditioning or plumbing corporations. They’re always going to try to sell me something, you think. They have a similar reputation to those greasy used car salesperson trying to make an extra buck. Hey, don’t look at me like that, I’m just addressing the elephant in the room!
The great thing about small, local businesses, is they usually don’t want to swindle you. They’re servicing, as I wrote above, their own neighbors. Plus, they don’t have much of a reputation yet, so they couldn’t afford that blow even if they wanted to rip you off. They must keep their prices low to compete with corporations. These small businesses want you to come back, because they desperately need you as a customer.
Small businesses, like us, are often just as experienced as the big guys, if not more. We’ve been servicing Northern VA for 20 years! We are experts when it comes to our field, even if we aren’t one of the HVAC giants.
Finally, we and many other local companies are family owned. We employ family and are run by family. The most important thing to us is your trust and satisfaction. We are family and our customers are an extension of our family! When you call our number, one out five of our office ladies will pick up the phone. You aren’t transferred to a call center. In fact, you have a good chance that the owner will pick up the call himself.
The perks of employing a small, local service are so vast. The customers’ individual needs are the focus, not one of millions. With this in mind, we and the other local businesses in NoVa would love to hear from you.
