This Saturday is Small Business Saturday. You are encouraged
to frequent independent stores, restaurants and other merchants. I try to do
this as much as possible, at home and on vacation. Why should you stay,
dine or shop local instead of sticking with brand names you know?
Let’s talk about “Small Business” in relationship to travel and you can see how
it correlates to your hometown.
What are the advantages? There are so
many, it’s hard to list them all, but I’ll definitely give you the biggest
ones. See how it can save you money and immerse you in a new culture. When
faced with new names and new places, I get a jolt of excitement, because I love new things. I want to stay somewhere cool and
unlike other places I’ve stayed, eat new, delicious food and shop in
family-owned stores that have totally unique merchandise. I know I’m much more
adventurous than a lot of other people, but I think if you make the commitment
to travel to new and exotic places and want to have a whole new experience, cut
your ties with your normal life and psyche yourself up for doing something
different and potentially life-changing.
I bring my
comforts of home with me (travel blanket, Kindle, iPod, netbook), so if I need
to just get back in my own familiar mode for a bit, I totally can when I get
back to my room at the end of the day. Not sure you’ll love the food in a
foreign land? That’s okay. Nobody else is either. Throw some snacks from home
in your bag that you know you enjoy. It also helps when you’re walking around
getting all that exercise and start to get a bit hungry in between meals. This
happens to me all the time on vacation and I tend to want to eat all day long,
so keeping a stash of goodies in my day bag is a good idea wherever I am.
Shop Local (or small). I’m sure you hear this all
the time where you live. Shop local and support your local farmers, other
workers and economy. Makes sense. Shopping where you live can be beneficial
to yourself and others in your community. Well, the same goes for travel. Shop
local grocers, farmers markets and family-owned shops. Not only will you be
helping the local economy thrive, but you’re also going to get better deals on
local foods, engage with the locals, find authentic merchandise that is likely
handmade or, at the very least, made in the area and go home with memories of
the quaint stores you shopped in, instead of memories of wandering the endless
aisles of a Wal-Mart (or similar).
I can help you shop Small this Saturday,
too. I consider myself a small business and if you want to get a copy (or
three) of Shereen Travels Cheap, I’ll
give you a code for 20% off! Purchase the book through my page on CreateSpace
and use code BBGHV9F8 and
purchase an ebook through Smashwords and use code CL73Z. I’ve already had
several people I know buy two or more copies as holiday gifts, so I know travel
is a great gift to give. These codes will be good through Cyber Monday (November 28).
Eat Local. With the same premise as
shopping local, eating local is even better. When you go out to have a nice
meal, ask the people who live in the area that you come in contact with where
they recommend. They aren’t going to point your towards McDonalds (I hope). Likely, they
will send you to one of their favorite dining destinations that has local and,
likely, more affordable fare. When people come to Portland
Eating local also ensures that you find new
and different foods. Those restaurants that have the local cuisine are going to
be less expensive than others that have to order their food from other regions.
If you’re visiting Germany
Stay Local. I know this sounds odd,
since you’re obviously going to stay local, but the point is that many chain
hotels are still owned by other countries. You can also save money by not
staying at big brand hotels, because the smaller ones have really competitive
rates. Plus, many are more “traditional” to where they are located and can
offer more personal service. While you probably won’t get a hotel with
conference rooms and a gym, how many times have you ever used those things on
vacation anyway? They still offer breakfasts, WiFi, pools and many other
amenities you’re used to and will actually take advantage of.
The employees of any
hotel should be able to give you tips on where to eat, play and shop, but
locally-owned hotels can give you the inside scoop and don’t get kick-backs for
their suggestions. (Not all hotels do this, but many brand name hotels often
get comped in some way for pointing hotel guests to certain establishments.
Make sure to ask hotel workers that don’t work the front desk or concierge for
their ideas, because they don’t have any affiliations.)
Choose carefully, just
as you would any other lodging. You aren’t going in blindly, though. There are
so many review sites to read up on hotels worldwide that it’s almost impossible
to not find any reviews of almost any accommodation. Ask your friends and extended
social network where they stayed when they went and then check out sites like TripAdvisor, Venere and Travelocity for traveler’s comments.
So again, shop, eat and
stay small and local for these awesome reasons:
·
Help
the economy
·
Get
to know the locals
·
Find
more authentic food and merchandise
·
Get
immersed in the culture
·
Try
new things and find new favorites
·
Get
out of your “comfort zone”
·
Eat
where the locals do
·
And,
as always, save money
Your local shops and eateries will thank you, as well as all those independent merchants on your trips and you'll find brand-new places, food and things you may love that you will return to when you make it back to that destination. Small Business Saturday is waiting for you. Make it a Small Business Year.
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