If you stick around Austin long enough, you’ll start to hear the same two words over and over again. Second only to “hook ‘em” the motto of Austin seems to be “it’s changed.” This is, inevitably, true. Between the traffic on MoPac, the lines winding out of Rainey Street bars on any given weekend, and the eternal search for an elusive parking spot on South Congress, there’s no denying that Austin is a growing, changing city. But the one thing that hasn’t changed is, perhaps, the reason for Austin’s draw -- no matter how fast or large this city grows, the heart and soul of Austin has always been it’s local businesses.
If there’s one thing we here at Desk Plants know it’s that healthy things grow, and it excites us that every day small business owners are choosing Austin as the place to put down their roots and take a risk on their dreams. We are proud to be a part of a thriving community, filled with transplants and natives alike, committed to creating a better future for Austin while preserving the spirit and character we all love about our city.
At Desk Plants, even the most self-sufficient plant we have (the ZZ plant, in case you were wondering) still needs some help in order to survive. Local businesses are no different. Cultivating a small business isn’t easy even in the best of conditions, but having the support of the Austin community allows us to not only reap the rewards of our hard work but to help support our friends and fellow entrepreneurs. For example, by buying one of our plants in a “pot with a dot” you’re helping us employ the creative talents of Kailo Chic, who in turn can help other members of our community.
It’s no secret that in the age of 2-day shipping and everything being just a keyboard click away, shopping local isn’t always the most convenient or economical choice (although this seems as good an opportunity as any to mention our online store and next-day shipping). But what shopping locally does afford you is the opportunity to take part in the long-held tradition of keeping Austin’s small business culture alive. No matter if you’ve been here for decades or just got here yesterday, if you’re a part of the change or the one who has seen it happen -- supporting the small businesses in your community is what being local is really all about. And that is one thing that should never change.