By choosing local and independent businesses for your services, shopping, dining and other needs, you not only get real value and personal service, but you’re also helping to shape the character of your community. Find out more by clicking on the icons below!
BUILD COMMUNITY!
The casual encounters you enjoy at neighborhood–scale businesses and the public spaces around them build relationships and community cohesiveness. They’re the ultimate social networking sites!
Create Healthy Environments
Independent, community-serving businesses are people-sized. They typically consume less land, carry more locally-made products, locate closer to residents and create less traffic and air pollution. (source 3) More on this topic: Buying Green Means Buying Local.
Local Economic Multiplier Effect
Each dollar you spend at independent businesses returns 3 times more money to your local economy than one spent at a chain (hundreds of times more than buying from an online mega-retailer) — a benefit we all can bank on.
Jobs & Opportunities
Not only do independent businesses employ more people directly per dollar of revenue, they also are the customers of local printers, accountants, wholesalers, farms, attorneys, etc., expanding opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
Healthy Residents
Research shows a strong correlation between the percentage of small locally-owned firms and various indicators of personal and community health and vitality.
(courtesy of the American Independent Business Alliance)
Main St: Character & Choices
Character: Independent businesses help give your community its distinct personality.
Choices: A wide variety of independent businesses, each serving their customers’ tastes, creates greater overall choice for all of us.
Giving Back
Charitable Contributions: Small businesses donate more than twice as much per sales dollar to local non-profits, events, and teams compared to big businesses.
Lower Taxes: More efficient land use and more central locations mean local businesses put less demand on our roads, sewers, and safety services. They also generate more tax revenue per sales dollar. The bottom line: a greater percentage of local independent businesses keeps your taxes lower.
Enhance Local Democracy
Local ownership of business means residents with roots in the community are involved in key development decisions that shape our lives and local environment.
