Small, independent businesses are everywhere— speckled along side roads, lining our local main streets, and filling storefront after storefront in neighboring strip malls.
    With small businesses being such a huge part of our local community, why do consumers continue to bypass local businesses to feed their infatuation with big-box stores? Is it the bombardment of TV, print, and internet advertising? How about the special trip we make across town, or waiting in one, long, checkout line instead of a few shorter lines all to “save time?”
    Without a doubt, small businesses cannot afford to do even a quarter of the advertising as their multinational competitors. Chances are they also won’t have an 80-foot-long lighted sign or supermodels eating their food or using their products. Then how do small businesses make up for what seems to be an insurmountable challenge? By providing great products and services in a customer-focused environment, all while providing a bigger return to our local landscape and most importantly, our local economy.
    Small businesses work hard for your patronage in more ways than one. Employees, and sometimes even owners, drop what they’re doing to provide customer service and insight that can’t be found at their big-box counterparts. The products that stock their shelves aren’t ordered via multinational purchasing agreements, instead, products are ordered by each store individually, with the understanding that its reputation is on the line with each transaction.
    Even small businesses that provide similar goods and services remain distinct. Each business offers a different experience. Once inside, you can feel the atmosphere begin to take over— unique memorabilia, a distinct color pallet, music that complements the experience, and other atmospherics that big-box stores lack. The benefits provided by shopping local far exceed the satisfaction and experience you’ll receive from simply making a purchase.
    The local economy also benefits when you buy local. Your purchase supports better jobs, keeps money within the community, provides tax revenue that might have otherwise been lost by the tax incentives large chains receive, and maintains the intrinsic value of our region.
    According to the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of the Census, Pennsylvania was home to almost a quarter million small businesses in 2006, which accounted for 98.4 percent of the state’s employers— providing almost half of Pennsylvania’s private-sector employment opportunities.
    Making purchases from local businesses will make your dollar go further and bring all new meaning to the phrase “stretching a buck.” Local economies follow what is referred to as the local multiplier effect. The term refers to how many times currency from a purchase is circulated within a local economy before being removed from that economy. Buying from locally owned businesses keeps money circulating closer to where it is spent. Following suit, many local businesses purchase their products and/or business services locally, which further recirculates income. Large corporations send more money out of communities when compared to local businesses. In some studies, local businesses returned as much as three times the amount to local economies when compared to national chain stores.
    If you, like countless others, find yourself frequenting the World Wide Web for your shopping experience, take a moment to find local businesses online. Improved access to e-commerce technologies and a variety of e-market places, including the likes of Facebook Marketplace and eBay, have several small businesses opening their virtual shopping doors. E-shops have made it possible to spend locally from the comfort and convenience of your computer or smart phone.
    Aside from a business’s internally managed website and shopping cart, the Internet has many features to find information and locate local businesses. Consumer reviews, product descriptions, hours of operation, contact information, and even turn-by-turn directions are just a few clicks away. Google, Yahoo and Microsoft’s Bing search engines all offer a local option for search, which sifts through the Web for the most relevant local results. There are also a number of online, local business directories including MerchantCircle.com, IndependentNEPA.com, and urbanspoon.com, just to name a few.
    Small, independent businesses filled our communities long before today’s chain store competitors and before the introduction of online shopping. To ensure a bright future for small businesses, we have to keep in mind the intricate role boutique shops and “mom-and-pop” businesses play in our local economy. From the wonderful shopping experience to the jobs that are created, independent businesses are the backbone of our community. With your support, small businesses can continue to line our streets and strengthen their roots.