Letter from the Editor, December 2017

It isn’t that I’m biased because I work for a locally owned company. I work for a locally owned company because I know how much local business do for their communities.

The math on this is simple. When you buy locally, more of your money stays in your community. When you buy locally, you encourage start-ups. Buying local combats inequality; the difference in income between employees of small business is less than the difference at chain stores. Buying local encourages job growth, because locally owned businesses employ more people per unit of sales and retain more employees during economic downturns. When big box retailers show up, wages tend to decrease, whereas economies rich in locally owned business are associated with higher wages and better benefits. Shopping local decreases the strain on local governments, because local businesses do not demand the massive subsidies of box stores. Speaking of taxes, locally owned businesses generate more tax revenue than the box stores, too.

There is an enormous library of studies to back up these claims, as well as studies that backup what should already be clear: the more locally owned business a community has, the greater its social capital, civic engagement and sense of well-being. All of these economic benefits of shopping local translate to a happier community.

This holiday season, when you consider where to shop and dine and entertain, consider locally owned businesses first. Columbus has so many wonderful shops and restaurants, many of which we are exited to feature in this month’s magazine, that there’s no reason to spend time or money in a business that drains our community. When we come together to support each other, we all benefit.

Our next issue will hit stands in the new year. Let’s take this shop local momentum into 2018, too.

Thank you for reading,

Tom Ingram

Editor