Support Local

Support Local Harford County Living

The following comes from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a national nonprofit organization working to strengthen independent businesses and local economies, and is reprinted here with permission.

Top 10 Reasons to Support Locally Owned Businesses

By Stacy Mitchell

 

1. Local Character and Prosperity

In an increasingly homogenized world, communities that preserve their one-­‐of-­‐a-­‐kind businesses and distinctive character have an economic advantage.

2. Community Well­‐Being

Locally owned businesses build strong communities by sustaining vibrant town centers, linking neighbors in a web of economic and social relationships, and contributing to local causes.

3. Local  Decision­‐Making

Local ownership ensures that important decisions are made locally by people who live in the community and who will feel the impacts of those decisions.

4. Keeping Dollars in the Local Economy

Compared to chain stores, locally owned businesses recycle a much larger share of their revenue back into the local economy, enriching the whole community.

5. Job and Wages

Locally owned businesses create more jobs locally and, in some sectors, provide better wages and benefits than chains do.

6. Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship fuels America’s economic innovation and prosperity, and serves as a key means for families to move out of low-­‐wage jobs and into the middle class.

7. Public Benefits and Costs

Local stores in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure and make more efficient use of public services relative to big box stores and strip shopping malls.

8. Environmental Sustainability

Local stores help to sustain vibrant, compact, walkable town centers-­‐which in turn are essential to reducing sprawl, automobile use, habitat loss, and air and water pollution.

9. Competition

A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-­‐term.

10. Product Diversity

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.

#SupportLocal 

We always see businesses posting or displaying signs to “SupportLocal”, but how many of these businesses actually support other local businesses or organizations?

Do they use other local businesses for their needs, or are they using out of state companies?

Do they refer business to other local businesses, or consider them as competitors instead of partners and simply refuse to refer anyone?

Do they advertise with local media sources such as magazines, websites, radio, podcasts, etc. or are they advertising with media sources that are located out of state?

Are they a member of any local organizations or just a local Chamber of Commerce?

Do they respond to other local businesses or organizations that try to contact them for anything, or do they just ignore them or put them off?

Do they donate to local organizations?

Each week we feature a Business of the Week and also Spotlight our Sponsors. Those that truly support local are featured more.

If you know of a local business that should be on this list, email us at [email protected] and let us know why and provide a list of local businesses and/or organizations they support and how. We encourage everyone to visit the businesses on this list.

  1. Freedom Federal Credit Union
  2. WebIXI
  3. Towne Grill & Pub
  4. McComas Funeral Homes
  5. Harford Mutual
  6. Four Seasons Landscape & Construction Services
  7. APG Federal Credit Union
  8. Jones Junction
  9. Saxon’s Diamond Centers
  10. Harford Bank
  11. Beacon Staffing Alternatives, Inc.
  12. Ecotone
  13. Klein’s ShopRite
  14. Allied-Phillips
  15. Brad’s Farm Market
  16. Vagabond Sandwich Company
  17. Thompson Automotive Group
  18. Aberdeen Ironbirds
  19. Looney’s Pub
  20. 91.1 WHFC
  21. Chesapeak Shredding
  22. Elite Power Washing
  23. Mountain View Insurance Solutions
  24. Tar Heel Construction Group
  25. The Clay Monet
  26. Independent Brewing Company
  27. Boyle Buick GMC Truck
  28. Elite Home Entertainment
  29. Geneva Farm Golf Course
  30. Humagalas
  31. Log Cabin Chocolates
  32. Community Foundation of Harford County
  33. Great Escapes Harford
  34. University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health
  35. Ferrell Fuel Co.
  36. Midway Liquors
  37. Sapore di Mare
  38. Music Land
  39. Harford Vineyard & Winery
  40. Bel Air Dental Care
  41. Serenity Salt Spa
  42. Danben
  43. Full Circle Tire & Auto
  44. Ben’s Tire Sales
  45. Wine World
  46. Harford County Health Department
  47. 510 Johnnys
  48. Steen Properties
  49. Jones Family Farm
  50. Route 24 Ale House
  51. Decisive Data Systems
  52. Richardson’s Flowers & Gifts
  53. Coffee Coffee
  54. Newberry Café & Bakery
  55. Your Pet AuPair