Top Ten Reasons to Think Local First

There are many well-documented benefits to our communities and to each of us when we choose independent, locally-owned businesses.  We realize that it is not always possible to make purchases locally, which is why we simply ask you to Think Local FIRST!

 

1. Keep Money in the Neighborhood. For every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $45 goes back into the community and our tax base.  For every $100 spent at a chain store, only $14 comes back.

2. Help the Environment. Independent businesses make purchases requiring less transportation and are usually located in commercial corridors and in-town instead of developing on the fringe.  This means less sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.

3. Support Community Groups. Non-profit organizations receive an average of 250% more support from local business owners than they do from non-locally owned businesses.

4. Embrace What Makes Us Different. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of our community.  Where we shop; where we eat and hang out - all of it makes Washington DC home. That is what brought us here and will keep us here.

5. Invest in the Community. Local businesses are owned by people who live here, work here, and are more invested in our future.

6. Put Your Taxes To Good Use. Local businesses in neighborhoods need comparatively less infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the community.

7. Get Better Service.  Local businesses often hire people who have a better understanding of the products they're selling, and take more time to get to know their customers.

8. Buy What You Want, Not What Someone Wants You to Buy.  A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses means low prices over the long-term.  Small businesses choosing products based on what their customers love and need - not a national sales plan - guarantee a more diverse range of products.

9. Create More Jobs.  Local businesses are the largest employer nationally and in Washington DC they provide the most new jobs to residents.

10. Encourage Local Prosperity. In an increasingly homogenized world, people are more likely to invest in or move to communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and unique attitude.