IT MAY be hard to believe, but something as simple as choosing where to spend your hardearned cash can have a big impact on your local economy.

Shopping helps to fuel local economies, so where you spend your money counts.

Businesses that are independently- owned, create local employment and use local suppliers all play a powerful part in helping a local economy to thrive, and a thriving local economy is a good thing for all. Not only does it make an area a nicer place to live, but means more businesses succeed. When people are better off they have more money to spend in the local economy, so the cycle of positivity goes on.

When you shop at a local, independently- owned business, as much as 70p in every £1 you spend stays in the local economy. That’s because independent businesses tend to be owned by people who live locally, so most of the profit is spent or saved right here.

To illustrate the point, we focus on two such ventures – one a relatively new business and the other a well-established family firm embedded in the local community.

Number 4, in Langley Park, and The Art Shop, in Darlington, have a big role to play in helping the local economy to grow and flourish.

When you’re out and about doing your Christmas shopping this year, why not choose to spend your money at independent businesses like these, so that more of the benefit stays right here, helping our local economy?