As we barrel full speed ahead into the holiday season, most of us are preparing for an abundance of festive gatherings with family, friends, co-workers and neighbors. Many of these times of togetherness will include the exchanging of gifts – and we’d like to encourage you to support your local community and spread some holiday cheer by shopping local.

Franklin County boasts a wide array of businesses – from clothing stores, to specialty boutiques, to hardware stores and more. They all offer local options to fill up that empty space under your Christmas tree and bring a smile to loved ones’ faces.

Spending your dollars in Franklin County means more money going back into our communities right here at home – more funding for schools, for local infrastructure and for our friends and neighbors who are employed here.

Shop local when you head out to do your Christmas gift-buying to support our Franklin County business owners in their endeavors. Success breeds success – meaning the more we support these locally-owned businesses, the more our communities will grow and thrive.

If you’re not sure what to buy for that person who has everything, many of our local shops – and let’s not forget our favorite Franklin County restaurants – offer gift cards and gift certificates, providing one more way to keep local dollars local. May we particularly recommend those businesses that advertise in the pages of the Franklin County Times?

The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce can be a great resource to help you pinpoint places to shop local. Cassie Medley and Susan Hall are closely familiar with scores of Franklin business owners and can point you in the right direction.

Maybe there are shops you have never even visited before or haven’t frequented in a long time. Take this holiday season to patronize those local businesses and shop Franklin County.