The importance of buying local

I was privileged to be able to exhibit at the annual Buy Local celebration event held in the magnificent surroundings of Norwich's Dragon Hall last night. Membership of Buy Local is something that we are really passionate about, not just because its "in vogue", but because it makes good business sense. Buy Local is a social enterprise for independent local businesses which recognises that small business owners have a vital role to play in supporting the local economy, both as buyers and sellers. In order to qualify for membership, Active Marketing & Design has to buy from local suppliers where possible, something which we do already and are keen to do more of.
In turn Buy Local is a good place for us to promote our independent local business to other like-minded business people. The list of good reasons to Buy Local is endless, but stuff like keeping the pounds in the local economy, saving money, time and hassle, building a reputation and reducing our impact on the environment are all pretty critical.
The event had double meaning as it was held in the historic Dragon Hall which has been an integral part of local industry for centuries. In medieval times it was an important trading hall for merchants of key goods such as cloth and food products as it occupies a prominent position between the River Wensum and King Street, an important trading route. Im sure we could learn many lessons from those times before the internet and the global economy, about the importance of doing business with other local businesses.
http://www.buylocalnorfolk.org.uk
http://www.dragonhall.org