Small business owners urge community to shop locally this holiday season

HEWITT, Texas (KXXV) — With Black Friday around the corner, don’t forget to shop local.

25 News spoke with small business owners who discussed the importance of shopping small this holiday season and gave insight into how they’re helping their community.

“We’re all mom and pop, so our budget’s smaller. We have to build everything from scratch ourselves,” owner of The Grandson Home Care Brett Cox said.

“So, for small businesses, they rely on the communities that they’re in,” owner of Business Locksmith Joseph Hester said. “Many business owners out here in Waco are also local Wacoans trying to help their community.”

Hester is a veteran who opened Business Locksmith two years ago. Hester helps business owners format company plans.

“The army gave me so many capabilities just to be able to do my best and apply myself, and so that’s just how I’ve carried it all over, even to this company today,” Hester said.

He was awarded a grant from the Hewitt Chamber earlier this year.

“Some of the difficulties that small business owners face is not knowing which direction to go in,” Hester said. “Receiving the grant that the Greater Hewitt Chambers awarded me gave me some relief.”

Brett Cox opened an elderly care-giving service – The Grandson Home Care— over three years ago.

“The money will not be funneled to some New York City corporation or elsewhere,” Cox said. “It’s going to stay, stay in Waco. It’s Waco through and through. I try to use small businesses as much as possible.”

According to the Hewitt Chamber, 99.7% of all U.S. businesses are small.

Both owners told 25 News it can be challenging to attract customers away from more prominent companies, but the events hosted by the chamber benefit their company.

“It’s very useful if you’re a business owner or business person for networking and meeting other like-minded people doing something positive in the community,” Cox said.

SMALL BUSINESS IN OUR COMMUNITY

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