Holliston Businesses Give to Teachers, Promote Buying Local

In an effort to give back to the community’s educators, an organization of Holliston businesses had simultaneous sales for teachers yesterday.

Holliston Hosts, a committee of owners of the town’s shops, hopes the event will also attract new customers from surrounding areas amid an economic climate that causes many small businesses to suffer.

“We hope new people will come and say ‘hey we can do our holiday shopping in Holliston,’” Margrit Price, co-owner of , said.

Price believes promoting small businesses can solve some of the economic woes in the United States. She is a part of the 3/50 Project, which advocates for brick-and-mortar stores. 

According to the 3/50 website, 68 percent of revenue from local shops is returned to the community through taxes, expenditures, and payroll. Only 43 percent of revenue from national chain stores is returned to the communities where those stores are located.

Price said getting credit is one of the hardest parts of being a small business owner and sees it as a “place where government can really help.” Without credit, businesses are unable to expand, making it more difficult to compete with chains, she said. 

The next event, scheduled for Nov. 10, will cut prices for those who are employed in the surrounding towns, with discounts given to medical staff a week later. 

Are you making an effort to buy local? Tell us why in the comments.