Lifestyle

Conscientious consumers who want to help local entrepreneurs thrive may not need any extra incentive to support small businesses in their communities. However, that doesnÕt mean it isnÕt worth noting the tax benefits of buying local compared to buying online or in other towns or cities. Small businesses pay sales taxes to the city and county where the business is located, which means a significant amount of the money spent at local businesses is ultimately going to the community at large. In addition, local businesses tend to hire local residents, who pay taxes on their incomes. Those taxes also benefit the towns and cities where workers live and work. This ripple effect of supporting local businesses is one reason why the Small Business Adminstration estimates that, for every $100 consumers spend at a small business, $48 remains in the community.

Small businesses continue to be the backbone of the North American business community. According to the career resource Zippia, there are 33.2 million small businesses in the United States. Those organizations employ around 62 million people. The financial wellness company Fortunly says that small businesses account for nearly half of all private sector jobs in Canada. In fact, small employer businesses made up 98.1 percent of all businesses in Canada in 2021.

The Wills Point City Council had a surprise visitor at their regularly scheduled monthly meeting Oct. 11 in the form of U.S.

The Triple M Trailers Fall Celebration and Sale has arranged for a keynote speaker, Dr. Nate Hearne, to give a presentation on Saturday.

Holiday shoppers know that, seemingly every year, there’s one person on their shopping list who’s hard to shop for. Seniors may fit that bill, as many have already accumulated a lifetime’s worth of goods and gadgets. That’s why experiential gifts can be such a good fit for seniors come the holiday season.

Over the past week, communities across the county have been doing their part to pay homage to the Brey family, who are dealing with the tragic loss of their son Wyatt, and serious injuries to their daughter Alexis, following an accident this past week.

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The Van Zandt County Veterans Memorial hosted its largest fundraising event of the year Sept. 13, welcoming golfers from across the area to Van Zandt Country Club for the 9th annual VZ Veterans Memorial Golf Tournament.

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Students across Van Zandt County joined millions of others around the world on Sept. 28 by participating in See You at the Pole, a global day of student prayer that annually takes place on the fourth Wednesday in September. According to www.syatp.com, “See You at the Pole began in 1990 as a grass roots movement with ten students praying at their school. Twenty years later, millions pray on their campuses on the fourth Wednesday in September. See You at the Pole is simply a prayer rally where students meet at the school flagpole before school to lift up their friends, families, teachers, school, and nation to God. See You at the Pole is a student-initiated, student-organized, and student-led event.”