Trickle up economy

There are many good arguments for buying from locally owned businesses. The foremost is that your dollar goes much further in strengthening your community's economic base when you skip the Big Box or chain store and buy from a local retailer (see this summary of several recent studies). In the current economic crisis, supporting your community's economy is even more crucial. Vital communities  require a diverse range of businesses to maintain higher wages, yet local businesses are the most vulnerable in this economic climate. 

One reason for buying local has not generally been discussed (here's a list of the more persuasive arguments). Instead of waiting for bankrupt state governments, or the often ineffectual federal government, to fix the global economic tailspin, economically vigorous communities can contribute to a global solution through their philanthropy, sustainable socioeconomic models and their tax contributions (Big Box stores often receive tax breaks that border on the criminal). 

So, when you make the effort to bypass one-stop shopping, or the convenience of the drive-thru chain restaurant, and buy local, you are not only strengthening your community's economy in ways that will ultimately reward you--you are also making a contribution to the institutions of state and federal governance that, like it or not, are key for stabilizing the overall economy.