Numerous studies have been conducted in the past decade comparing the
impact of locally owned businesses to non-local businesses. Here's just
one:
Local Works! Examining the Impact of Local Business on the West
Michigan Economy, September
2008, by Civic Economics
Key finding:
A modest change in consumer behavior
- a mere 10 percent shift in market share to independent businesses
from chain stores - would result in 1,600 new jobs, $53 million in
wages, and a $137 million economic impact to the area.
Additional research and studies available through:
Business
Alliance for Local Living Economies
(BALLE) is a national
organization that supports local business networks in over 65 cities in
the US and Canada. http://www.livingeconomies.org
The
Institute for Local Self-Reliance(ILSR)
proposes a set of new rules that builds community by supporting humanly
scaled politics and economics. http://www.newrules.org/
Or find these books at your nearest local book store:
The
Small-Mart Revolution: How Local
Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition,
by Michael H. Shuman
Deep Economy:
The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future,
by Bill McKibben