I am the founding director of Somerville Local First, a nonprofit network of Local Independents (locally owned and independent businesses) in the Somerville, MA.  Day to day, I work with small business owners, fellow nonprofit organizations, local politicians and government agencies, local and regional media and small business service providers. This gives me a window into most corners of the small business world, and I hope to be able to share some of those insights with you.

There are a lot of reasons to support Local Independents, and you’ll be hearing them from me with regularity, but the one I want to start with is the importance of Place.  A couple of months ago, I came across this quote:

“When every place looks the same, there is no such thing as place anymore.”

Ironically, this article from Atlantic Monthly is titled “In Praise of Chain Stores”.  Clearly, I vigorously disagree with the author’s premise, but am happy to steal her verbiage to make my point

Place IS important.  The character of our City Squares (pun intended), Main Streets and Central Business Districts does make us unique.  In Somerville, we have institutions like Johnny D’s and Redbones that people immediately identify with Somerville.  The author of the Atlantic Monthly article argues that its weather and terrain that create a sense of place.  Hmm…

I don’t know…I hear “I love Redbones” or “I saw XYZ @ Johnny D’s” much more than “Somerville has a lot of hills”…which it does by the way.  Somerville boasts, in my humble opinion, one of the coolest, most creative communities in America and the Local Independents have a lot to do with that.

In closing, I encourage you to compare and contrast your communtiy with those around you.   Whether you live in a place surrounded by independent businesses or one that has more corporate offerings, think about what makes your community unique.  And, as I often say in my Somerville Local First blog, Keep it Local, Keep it Fresh.

I’ve uploaded the audio file here but you can also find it up on WICN’s website.

– Ben

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Massage Therapy Works in Davis Square Somerville

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Boston Pedicab in Boston’s South End

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Union Bar and Grille in Boston’s South End

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After dinner we ended up a wine bar in the Upper West Wide called Wine & Roses. When we walked in, we were deep in the conversation, a friendly debate. We sat down at the bar right as I was trying to explain that consumer choice, in my opinion, is about three things:

1. Convenience: That is, what is closest to me or least interruptive to my day. Whether it’s a national chain or a local boutique, just give it to me quickly.
2. Budget: That is, I know how much I’m willing to pay, and no more. Whether it’s local, at a national brand, or online, I’m willing to take the time to find the best deal possible.
3. Community: I support my local mom-and-pop businesses, I believe they are essential to my community, and I value my relationship with them. I’m also aware of the economic benefits of buying locally.

It’s possible to have a hybrid of all three, of course, and most local businesses provide exactly that – convenience, affordability, and are actively part of their community. Redbones in Somerville’s Davis Square is a great example of this. They provide a quality product, excellent service, they are extremely convenient (they deliver this quality product on Redbones branded bicycles), and they are very active in the Somerville and Davis Square communities.

As we were discussing this and sat down at the bar, it happened to be next to the owner, Jennifer. I asked for her opinion on the topic and she more or less validated those three points with one major caveat – location. If you live in Manhattan, you have choices – lots and lots of choices. (But even that is changing, in a city like NY where you can’t walk three blocks without passing a national chain. It seems like the days of the local mom-and-pop are numbered in Manhattan.)

Anyway, the owner of this wine bar, Jennifer, explained that she was leaving for Arizona to see some family outside Mesa, and suggested that she is well aware that when she gets there she won’t have the same options and will certainly end up eating and buying at national chains. Now, she didn’t suggest this was a bad thing, or a good thing, but we all agreed that there is a reality in America where in some places consumers have choices about where to spend their money (the city) yet in others (Mesa, AZ) they just don’t.

Local businesses drive our national economy, this is a fact. They’re the oil in the nation’s economic engine. Local business is the best ingredient for any community’s success.

Anyway, to tie it all back together, and where we all seemed to agree last night, is on one simple but very important point – ultimately the consumers need to decide. That is very powerful. It doesn’t matter what political party you belong to, you surely still want the same things for your community, for your children, your family, and for your neighbors – your community. At CitySquares we really believe in this. It’s the mission behind the business. It all begins with the local businesses. Supporting your local and independent businesses is critical for your community’s sustainability.

To wrap it up, here is a brief illustration of what’s known as The Multiplier Effect, which is explained nicely in this brief video clip from an independent film called Independent America.

– Ben