There was an audible buzz in the picturesque Hodson Bay Hotel on Saturday night. And if there was a glitter-ometer in the lobby, it would have been off the charts as people arrived in great style to the venue on the shores of Lough Ree for the Athlone Business Awards.

While aware of the good work of the local chamber of commerce for many years, representing small businesses not just in town but also in the wider rural hinterlands and beyond, it was my first time attending the event. Surrounded by all kinds of SMEs, the event underlined, if it needed to, their importance as the backbone of our rural towns and villages.

According to the ISME, there are over 272,000 small and medium enterprises in Ireland. What was surprising about the awards at the weekend, which drew almost 350 people, was the breadth of small businesses operating in the midlands, many under the radar in spheres like digital, cloud-based accounting, telecommunications, retail design and pharma.

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All of these companies, big and small, had one thing in common – they are contributing wages into households every week that help keep rural Ireland afloat. It’s something we would do well to remember as the Christmas shopping frenzy begins.

Yes, there is a cost-of-living crisis and everyone is watching the pennies, but some savvy shopping can benefit us all via the domino effect of local spending

The value of shopping local in-store and online cannot be overstated. Campaigns like ‘Look for Local’ point out that for every €10 spent locally on Irish products, more than €40 of benefit is generated for the local community in terms of employment and spinoff. Every euro you spend with a local business is an investment in the community around it. Not only that, but it makes a positive environmental, economic and societal impact in rural areas.

So, when you’re making your Christmas shopping list this year, consciously try to support local and independent brands, whether in-store or online. Is there a local or national outlet selling that gift, rather than the easy option of ordering from abroad?

Will that international firm give your son or daughter a summer job or sponsor the football team? Yes, there is a cost-of-living crisis and everyone is watching the pennies, but some savvy shopping can benefit us all via the domino effect of local spending.

This shop local message was borne out further when Michael Ganly, who many readers will know from his very successful hardware outlets in Mountbellew, Longford and Athlone, was honoured with a lifetime achievement award at Athlone Business Awards. Very much rooted in the communities he serves, Michael spoke movingly about his family moving off the islands of Lough Ree when the local school closed to come into a new community in Garrycastle for education. He underlined the value of mentors in schools and colleges in encouraging him, the importance of having a bit of luck, and the huge value of good people – staff and family – to support you through prosperous and lean times.

However, the customer should always be at the centre of everything you do in business, he pointed out. Wise words indeed.