The Shire of Augusta Margaret River is a hotspot for fascinating people, incredible artists, top notch performers, world-class surfers, creative entrepreneurs, indigenous leaders, hand-made pottery, premium wine, perfectly roasted coffee, heirloom vegetables, and on and on…why choose a cookie cutter product when we have such interesting wares right here?

We all know the importance of community, that sense of mutual responsibility and care that means we can tough out even the most difficult times, and celebrate the best.  Small and local economic activity has that personal touch, and tends to be accompanied by meaningful social exchanges.  Not only is it great to get a genuine smile when you order your coffee or your new front tyres, but local businesses donate, sponsor, and support this community every single day.

Being anchored in the community, locally-owned businesses tend to look after their customers, taking pride in their work, going the extra mile, and looking after the people and the place where they live.  Where distant corporations offshore their production to squeeze the most from their workers, or move their money to get even higher rates of return, local businesses stays put and stays reliable.

Locally-owned businesses generally contribute more to the “economic multiplier”, with spending circulating many times in the local economy before leaking out.  What does this mean?  It means that rather than $0 staying in our Shire when you purchase from Amazon, roughly 70c for every dollar spent stays here to be spent again, and this means more employment and business opportunities for locals.