Portland is a city of neighborhoods, and those neighborhoods are home to 20,000 small businesses city-wide. A recent story that appeared in the Portland Tribune (http://portlandtribune.com/pt/10-opinion/344880-224560-letter-show-some-love-to-local-small-businesses) describes the impact that a series of recent winter storms had on local businesses.
“The winter storms that pummeled Portland in December and January were hard on everyone, including our local small businesses. Many were forced to close as the roads iced up and employees struggled to get to work. And it couldn’t come at a worse time — the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to Valentine’s Day, is critical to the success of a small business.”
Local businesses support local projects and organizations, even though their pockets might not be as deep as those of national chain stores. They invest in the communities that keep their doors open, and they often tackle problems that affect the business and residential environment. The article cites examples of “business owners in Gateway [that] removed nearly 500 pounds of garbage and cleaned up graffiti on dozens of buildings in East Portland.” Other city businesses provided resources to community members in need.
Small businesses also contribute a lot to the local economy – in terms of jobs and tax revenue. It’s important for consumers to know that shopping at local businesses means more money remaining here (70% of every dollar spent) than going into the pocket of out-of-state internet retailers.
