Be a team player and shop local this Christmas

The official launch of the Cavan Town Gift Card last week was a big boost to retailers and traders in the county town.

With the revival of Cavan Chamber, and the launch of the card, there is a real emphasis on boosting footfall to the town centre. Projects like the realisation of the major Abbeylands project, underway, will further accelerate that.

Already there are around 60 shops, bars and restaurants signed up to the Cavan Town Gift Card with more joining every week.

At this time of year, there is always a push on 'Shop Local' and this year is no different. It's so important to support your local businesses who keep our high streets alive and busy. Shopping online, at times, can be convenient with bargains to be found but there are many drawbacks. Delivery costs, waiting times (indeed the potential for not receiving your item before Christmas), the inability to touch and feel the product, sometimes difficult return policies or processes, not to mention after sales service are all factors to be considered.

But it's much more than that! We can't always travel to Dublin or Blanch or elsewhere for our shopping nor should we! Imagine taking a trip into your local town only to find the local cafe closed, the pub's only open on weekends or your favourite boutique shuttered? It's a sad sight to see retail outlets close in our town centres.

Local shops and businesses provide valuable goods and services locally. They add to the buzz around our high streets and town centres. They bring visitors to town. They provide local employment. They sponsor the local football team or a prize for a raffle or a set of jerseys. They are never found wanting.

Of course, people will always buy a few bits online, particularly specialist items; and there will always be a day trip to Dublin or a trip to the Christmas markets abroad. But support local when you can. Go out for a meal or a few drinks with friends. Buy a gift voucher for your friend's favourite eaterie, salon, shop... whatever! Or check out schemes like the Cavan Town Gift Voucher. Keep money circulating in the local economy.

These businesses need and deserve your support. They, similar to most householders, have had to endure rising costs from energy bills and other inputs. And, with the minimum wage increasing from January, the pressure continues.

Against that backdrop, it's somewhat disappointing to see that Cavan County Council is to increase commercial rates by 10% from January. However, faced with the same rising costs and the need to balance those with the delivery of key services and infrastructure for the county, the council executive and elected representatives appear to have been left with little option.

We do have a choice though - we can choose where we spend our disposable income and shop local.

It's a brave decision for anyone to set up in business, especially in these challenging times. It's harder still to keep the doors open. And the local economy in Cavan is make up largely of small and medium enterprises, not big conglomerates or multinationals - but the little guys (and gals) who keep the wheels of industry turning.

So whether the business has been trading for over a hundred years - such as Connolly Bros in Cavan Town - or is newly established, they deserve our support. Check out some of the newer businesses in town - Benny's Bar in Arva, K&T Kitchen in Swanlinbar, the Outdoor Sauna in Killeshandra, the Bailie Hotel... there's no shortage of brave and bold entrepreneurs in County Cavan.

Be a team player, keep your local towns alive and shop local this Christmas!