Community Pulse: Grundy County’s local businesses prepare for the holiday season

The windows of Grundy County’s local businesses are painted with winter scenes; Christmas decorations trim store displays and twinkle lights border checkout counters. Our local businesses have filled their inventory with this year’s best gift items for everyone on your list so as you’re shopping for your loved ones this holiday season – remember to think local first.

Small Business Saturday kicked off the shopping season last week and we have less than a month to finish Christmas shopping. It’s the perfect time to remind shoppers the importance of spending locally. For every $100 spent locally, $68 remains in the local economy. This means the dollars you spend in downtown Morris, on Broadway in Coal City and down Mondamin in Minooka are reinvested in our communities.

Just under 9% of all small businesses in Illinois are retailers. These shops are owned by people and families that are our neighbors, whose children go to our schools and who we consider friends. Their livelihoods are the businesses that give our communities that small-town feeling we adore in our hometown. The holiday season is the prime time to support them.

In addition to prepping their inventory, local businesses and towns provide a whole experience for shopping local. Home for the Holidays kicked off last weekend in downtown Morris – the first of multiple events this season to encourage shopping local. Up next – Midnight in Morris from 4 p.m. to midnight Dec. 6, Winterfest Market down Liberty Street from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 15, and individual holiday open houses downtown, details can be found on the Morris Retail Association Facebook page.

On the other side of the county the Coalers Business Alliance is hosting its annual Eat, Drink, Shop & Be Merry passport program in Coal City and Diamond. The program kicked off on Small Business Saturday and goes through Dec. 17. Shop at participating locations and be rewarded for shopping local with a chance to win chamber gift certificates. Locations include The Cove, Coal City Public Library, Mending Hearts Therapy, Rolando’s Furniture & Appliance, Minnie’s Travel Boutique, The Clubhouse, and Lori Bonarek Realty in Coal City and Yunker Motowerx, The QUEEN BEES, Blue Oval Rentals, Sunshine Garden Center and Hexagon Real Estate in Diamond. Grab a passport at any of these locations to get all of the details. Visit grundychamber.com or the Chamber’s Facebook page for more information.

Your decision to shop local benefits you, the local businesses and your community. It’s an easy way to give back, and you will find the perfect gift. Struggling on what that gift might be, as the local retailers they will help! But if you’re in a rush, or just don’t know what to get that one person on your list try a Grundy County Chamber Gift Certificate. These gift certificates can be used at any Chamber member business – more than 560 to choose from, never expire and keep your money local. Stop by the

Chamber’s office at 909 Liberty St. in Morris or order online at grundychamber.com for pick up at the office.

For a listing of all Chamber members visit grundychamber.com.