When you shop local, you invest in your community, in your neighbors, and in yourselves. In this economic climate, the best return on investment is in local business. It is estimated that for every dollar you spend, twice as much will be reinvested in the community by a local store than a national store.

Five good reasons to shop at locally-owned businesses:

1. Significantly more money re-circulates in Nordonia Hills when purchases are made at locally owned, rather than nationally owned, businesses: More money is kept in the community because locally owned businesses purchase from other local businesses, service providers and farms. Purchasing locally helps grow other businesses as well as the San Francisco tax base.

2. Most new jobs are provided by local businesses: Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally, and in Nordonia Hills provide the most new jobs to residents.

3. Local business owners invest in community: Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future.

4. Customer service is better: Local businesses often hire people with more specific product expertise for better customer service.

5. Competition and diversity leads to more choices: A marketplace of  thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.

You can make a difference with a few simple steps

Make a decision to find and patronize a locally owned business, wherever possible.

Dine at a local, independent restaurant and treat yourself to a unique and personal dining experience.

When you shop online with out-of-state companies, it doesn’t contribute a dime to the local economy. So check for members who offer the same products, and some even deliver.

Tell your associates, family, and friends why it is important to shop local. We all create our communities. Let’s continue to create strong and vibrant San Francisco as a legacy for those who follow.