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RURAL-URBAN RECORD, January 2, 2023 Page 9

LOCAL BUSINESSES

Eaton Grafton Elyria

Schild’s IGA 1021 Main St. Laubenthal-Mercado Funeral Home
RT 82 & Island Rd. | 440-748-3751 440-926-2048 38475 Chestnut Ridge Rd.
www.schildsigagrafton.com www.dukefuneralhome.com 440-322-4626 | www.laubenthalmercado.com

Columbia 440-653-3617 Olmsted Falls
Grafton, OH

Station www.highlandfloorrefinishing.com 25438 Sprague Rd.

440-235-4317
Frank Clarke Insurance Agency Grafton Sparkle Market www.tsmower.com
25070 Royalton Rd. | 440-236-5041 460 N. Main St. | 440-926-3328
LaGrange
www.frankclarkeagency.com www.graftonsparkle.com

9858 E. River Rd. 540 N. Center St.
440-235-2766 1007 Parsons Rd. | 440-926-2880 440-355-8920
www.gibbsbutcherblock.com www.graftonmowerservice.com www.lagrangeiga.com

26669 Royalton Rd. Protech Automotive & Cycle LLC
440-236-4303 788 Main St. | 440-926-3499 Burnett’s Septic
Family Salon • Walk-In’s Welcome! Serving Grafton for 30 years Services

Wellington 120 W Commerce Dr,
440-355-5526
905 Main St. | 440-865-3565 www.burnettssepticservice.com
Wellington 121-123 E. Herrick Ave www.courtneycarnesphotography.com
AUTO PARTS 440-647-4965
M-F 8-5:30pm, Sat 8-4pm WHEN YOU SPEND HERE your money stays here

How consumers can help small businesses Local Newspapers and their role

Small businesses continue to be the backbone of the North American business Local newspapers play vital roles in communities across the globe. The
community. According to the career resource Zippia, there are 33.2 million small Information Age has changed the way many people get their news, but local
businesses in the United States. Those organizations employ around 62 million peo- newspapers continue to serve as valuable resources for readers interested in
ple. The financial wellness company Fortunly says that small businesses account for learning more about and becoming more involved in their communities.
nearly half of all private sector jobs in Canada. In fact, small employer businesses While local publishers continue to adapt to the changes brought about by
made up 98.1 percent of all businesses in Canada in 2021. technology, the following are a handful of benefits unique to local newspa-
Despite the prevalence of small businesses and the abundance of people willing pers.
to become entrepreneurs, 20 percent of these firms fail within the first year, and only • Local newspapers keep readers up-to-date on their own communities.
55 percent survive five years or more, says Zippia. The COVID-19 pandemic was Globalization may be here to stay, but that does not mean local communities
particularly harsh on small businesses. However, many of them survived through are no longer home to newsworthy events. National and international news-
digitization that they plan to continue to utilize even when the pandemic is long papers and 24-hour cable news channels can keep men and women up-to-date
gone. on national and world news, but in many instances, local newspapers are the
Maintaining a small business through economic highs and lows and other issues only means people have to learn about what’s going on in their own commu-
often comes down to customer involvement. Consumers are the driving forces be- nities.
hind the success of small businesses. Here are some effective ways for consumers • Local newspapers benefit nearby businesses. Small business owners often
to help small businesses grow. connect with community members via local newspapers. A strong, locally
• Shop local. The “Shop Local” movement has been around for awhile but re- based small business community can improve economies in myriad ways,
mains as relevant as ever. Shopping local means becoming repeat patrons at the creating jobs in the community and contributing tax dollars that can be used
independent businesses that comprise Main Street as opposed to the chain stores to strengthen local schools and infrastructure. And local newspapers do their
that dominate strip malls. part by providing affordable and effective advertising space to local business
• Share on social. Social media can be a great way to spread the word about owners looking to connect with their communities.
businesses you like and point out particular examples why you shop there. Utilizing • Local newspapers can strengthen communities. Local newspapers are
social media platforms to highlight the positive attributes of a business can help that great resources for residents who want to become more active in their com-
business grow. munities and learn more about community events. Local newspapers often
• Call direct for take-out orders. Those ubiquitous third-party food delivery showcase community events like carnivals, local theater productions and
services may be convenient, but businesses have to share the profit from your pur- projects like park cleanups. These are great ways for readers to become more
chase with the delivery service, cutting into their bottom lines. Pick up your order active in their communities and build stronger communities as a result.
or rely on the restaurants’ own delivery teams. • Local newspapers can benefit children. National newspapers may have
• Engage with the business online. Complicated algorithms and other factors little age-appropriate content to offer young children, but local newspapers
determine how a business’ website or social media page gets seen by the public. You tend to include more soft news items than national periodicals, and such sto-
can help things along by liking pages, visiting the website frequently and sharing ries typically are appropriate for young readers. According to Newspapers in
any posts. Education, students who participated in an NIE group in Florida performed
• Speak about a business in person. When out and about, whether you’re dining significantly better in spelling and vocabulary than nonreaders. Additional
with friends or chatting with a stranger, try to push and recommend businesses you studies have indicated that students who use newspapers in the classroom
support. If someone compliments your lawn, shoes or haircut, mention the busi- perform better on standardized reading tests than those who do not use news-
nesses that did the work or sold you the products. papers in class.
• Suggest opportunities for exposure. If you know about a school or organiza- Many local newspapers have played vital roles in their communities for
tion looking for vendors, make the suggestion to a small business you use frequent- decades, providing a go-to resource for local readers and business owners.
ly. They may get new customers from participating in the event.
Small businesses are driving forces in the economy. Consumers can do their part
to keep them thriving and profitable.