Welcome to the Hertford blog.

This week is Buy Local Week across thebestof network in the UK. Of course, buying local should be on all our radars all of the time, but the purpose of Buy Local Week is to raise awareness on this vitally important topic.

There are already lots happening in Hertford to get more people buying loca,l including the newly launched Focal Local which The Best Of Hertford is supporting, so we wanted to get your opinion on what will make you buy local more?

We asked the question over on our Facebook page.  If you have 2 minutes to spare please take a look and answer our question, it will help the organisers behind Focal Local and other initiatives increase their efforts and get better responses!

Here’s 10 reasons to buy local rather than using online businesses or supermarkets:

• Buying local means you’re putting your money directly into the hands of the business owner, not shareholders. The business owner may well have a family, which your purchases will directly support.

• It’s not always cheaper to go online! A common reason most of us buy via websites is because we think it’s cheaper to do so, but not always! Local businesses usually have great deals on which can deliver better value than online stores, plus when you factor in the postage costs, online purchases can usually work out dearer than high street ones.

• Most business owners use other local businesses; by supporting one business you’re indirectly supporting dozens of others.

• Taking a wander down your local high street opens your eyes to a wealth of independent shops, services and produce that aren’t available online.

• Ever brought something online that needed returning? It can be a nightmare to get a replacement and even your money back. But heading to your local shop to buy your item can mean any problems you have will be resolved face to face and quickly.

• Your details are secure! Entering your credit card details online can put your identity at risk from online fraudsters. However paying with cash or card at your local high street business reduces the risk significantly.

• You can get a quality product. This is very particular when buying food; local butchers, fishmongers and green grocers always have fresher, better quality produce on sale than the supermarkets, and often for cheaper too.

• You definitely get a personal service! There’s nothing quite like being greeted at the door of your favourite store and having a brief chat whilst you buy your bits and pieces. Online stores and supermarkets don’t afford you the level of personality that the high street can.

• It’s a day out! Making the effort to go into town can be an event, why not tie your shopping trip to meeting a friend for coffee or lunch?

• You’re helping the local economy. This is probably the most important reason to buy local, by spending your money on local businesses you’re helping to create a local pound. As mentioned earlier, local businesses tend to spend their money with other local businesses, so your money can add to that pot and increase the immediate local economy. As a by-product of that, more jobs will be created, streets will be cleaner, people will be happier and parking costs may even reduce (probably not!). A healthy local economy is just the tonic town centres need, and you can help!

Remember to pop to our Facebook page and answer our question! Thanks for reading!