Local small businesses need three basic things to start, grow and thrive: connections to customers, small amounts of capital,
business coaching and training. This holiday season, CAMEO supports ‘Go Local’ campaigns that support small business and the microbusiness development infrastructure that sustains them.
Campaigns That Promote Local and Independent Businesses:
- Shop local on Small Business Saturday
- Take the pledge at Independent We Stand
- Find local bookstores at IndieBound
- Make one purchase of $50 in 3 stores with the 3/50 Project
“By shifting the focus of holiday shopping to locally owned, independent businesses, we seek to build an annual tradition that strengthens local economies, expands employment, nurtures a sense of community, and provides a more relaxed, fun, and rewarding gift-buying experience,” said Claudia Viek, C.E.O. of CAMEO.
Anil Rupasingha of the Atlanta Federal Reserve found that “local entrepreneurship matters for local economic performance and smaller local businesses are more important than larger local businesses for local economic performance.”
Civic Economics has studied the costs and benefits to cities, both large and small, of locally-owned businesses versus larger chain stores. They find that overall, locally owned businesses generate more money for a community than chain stores, as the profits generated by the businesses stays within the local community instead of draining away up the chain.
About CAMEO
CAMEO’s mission is to grow a healthy, vibrant, thriving environment for all entrepreneurs and start-up businesses by advancing the work of our statewide member network – the over 160 organizations, agencies and individuals dedicated to furthering the growth of micro-businesses in California. Last year, CAMEO member organizations assisted the creation of 21,000 businesses that created 38,000 jobs.