In honor of the ‘month of love,’ Paperjam is celebrating our love of small business all February long! We’re offering Biz Bundle discounts (the more you need, the more you save), our president and co-founder Deborah just returned from another trip to Capitol Hill fighting for small business, and she even wrote the blog below. If you’ve ever wondered, “will my purchase really make a difference?” or “how do I know if I’m shopping ethically?” read on..
My love for small business began with the birth of my son… designing a birth announcement led to starting my first business with my husband.
Fast forward 27 years through the journey with 3 different businesses and my path has lead me to be a strong voice for the importance of small businesses in our communities.
Co-founder Deborah with Bridget Bayer, entrepreneur, author, and Paperjam customer.
So why small business?
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Small businesses are the heartbeat and soul of this country. 63% of net new private sector jobs are created by small businesses in America.
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Small businesses are engaged face to face with the people in our communities and help create the livelihood that makes our main streets, small towns, and business districts vibrant and charming.
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Small businesses are made up of people who are hard working, independent, resilient, giving and proud members of our communities.
Paperjam is one of the joys of my life because of the relationships I have developed with my customers, vendors, and other businesses while creating a product and service that gives value to my community. The joy is found in making people feel important when they enter our shop and leave with confidence knowing we have taken care of their needs. And leaving with a smile is the icing on the cake! I think this sense of belonging and feeling important is the essence of what many small businesses give to their customers and communities. We care and give back.
That’s our Paperjam storefront, where all the magic happens.
I worked in corporate America for 15 years as an accountant but the bigness of the companies did not provide me with the opportunity to make deep connections with the world around me and often left me empty at the end of the day.
The next time you need to purchase something, think about your local small businesses.
Ask yourself these 3 questions:
1. Do they have the products and services that you need?
2. Do they share your values?
3. Are they giving back to the community?
Support businesses that give back, and you will receive in return.
Remember to shop for more reasons than just price. You will be glad you did because supporting your local small businesses supports your local economy, which helps create jobs and strengthens your community, making it more resilient when we have downturns in our economy — remember the deep recession? Research has shown that cities that are more self-reliant with a strong local economy have more protection from outside influences.
When you shop local in the small businesses you are supporting the belief that going deeper in place is better than shallow spread and keeps your money local while making an investment in the stability of your own community.
Thank you for supporting Paperjam and other local, small businesses in our city of Portland.
Small is Beautiful,
Deborah
PS: We’re showing our appreciation for small business all February long with Biz Bundles discounts. Request a quote to claim up to 30% off your order!