According to the SBA, the United States is home to 28.8 million small businesses — which accounts for 99.7% of all US businesses. Small and independent businesses have undoubtedly played an integral part in spearheading the fast-paced growth of our country since 1776 — boosting the economy, creating jobs and ultimately, serving as a foundational stepping stone towards the American Dream. Yet, there are a lot more than just financial losses to consider when we allow these businesses to disappear.
Here are 43 quotes, extracted from For New York, that will make you reflect on the invaluable role small and independent businesses — and the people behind them — play in each of our lives. So, trade in your Starbuck’s for a cup of joe from your local coffee shop, and get to reading:
“Choosing to support an independent business is an act of respect; it’s acknowledging the tremendous risk and challenges inherent to starting your own thing.” - Matt Kliegman (co-founder - The Smile, The Smile To Go, Black Seed Bagels)
“These are establishments that are often the character of a neighborhood, a community. The relationships created between customers and those that work in independent business frequently go beyond just purchases — it becomes familial.” - Rembert Browne (culture critic at large - New York Magazine).
“Most independent businesses are run by people - not by boards, not by stockholders, not by algorithms. And so you get a different kind of care and quality in their product because their work is a reflection of themselves. Instead of focusing on the next market they’re expanding into or the next round of funding they’re raising, they’re focusing on the details and being the best they can be.” - Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur (co-founders - Of a Kind).
Read full Article at
https://www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2016/12/01/43-reasons-you-should-support-small-and-independent-businesses/#18ae4f627007
