Choose Small: They Deserve it

The week of May 4th-8th is National Small Business Week. In this article, it is explained how small businesses are anything other than small. With more than 58 million workers employed in a small business, these businesses have a duty to provide for those employees. Small businesses need support to do this. Customers are what gives that support. As the article says "Everybody wins when we support small business", pretty much sums up what you, the consumer, needs to do.

In creating my solutions page, this is a vital resource as there are many pieces of interest that will add to my paper. Small businesses are vital to a state's economy, that is the case here in Utah. So this up and coming Small Business Week or on Small Business Saturday, do your part and shop small.

Goodman, G. (2015, May 5). Choose Small: Why Small Businesses Deserve Our Support. Retrieved April 11, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gail-goodman/choose-small-why-small-bu_b_7154380.html

Goodman, G. (2015, May 5). Choose Small: Why Small Businesses Deserve Our Support. Retrieved April 11, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gail-goodman/choose-small-why-small-bu_b_7154380.html

Solutions: Top Ten Reasons

Lists of top ten reasons for anything tends to draw the attention of any person. The top ten reasons for supporting local businesses is no different. By listing reasons about what supporting small businesses does for it calls the consumer to a duty of support. Shopping local creates character and prosperity. It gives a community well-being, helps with local decision making, and entrepreneurship. Jobs and wages are created, which keeps money local, which in turn keeps public benefits up and costs down. Competition, in the long run, will keep businesses open by striving to be the best. Environmental sustainability is something very beneficial to the environment. Product diversity keeps people coming back for items.

This applies to my final essay to be written as this is a obvious call to action. Small businesses are in need of support from consumers in order to actually make it with an income. I, personally, enjoy short concise lists that are easy to understand. This source is one of those.

Mitchell, Stacy. "Top 10 Reasons to Support Locally Owned Businesses." Institute for Local SelfReliance. 10 Dec. 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <https://ilsr.org/why-support-locally-owned-businesses/>.

Mitchell, S. (2012, December 10). Top 10 Reasons to Support Locally Owned Businesses. Retrieved April 11, 2016, from https://ilsr.org/why-support-locally-owned-businesses/ 

Adjusting to an Evolving Business Climate

Written by the Regional Administrator of the Small Business Association, Mr. Stan Nakano congratulates the winners of the most recent Small Business Week. Spotlighting the many different small businesses here in Utah in the innovative ways of creating the best business environment they can. Small businesses have grown in number and economic sustainability. The growing number of loans also helps the overall economy to grow in relation to those small businesses.

This news article proves that the research I am doing on small businesses being vital to Utah economy, to be true.  Utah is growing in expansion of small businesses, creating more of a lean onto those said businesses to keep the economy alive and well. During small business week, businesses are striving to be noticed and for that to happen., they need support from us, the consumers.

Nakano, Stan. "Adjusting To An Evolving Business Climate." Enterprise/Salt Lake City 44.38 (2015): F3. Regional Business News. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.  

Nakano, S. (2015). Adjusting to an evolving business climate. Enterprise/Salt Lake City, 44(38), F3.

Investment Fund has Benefits

Back in June 2006, the Southeast Utah Small Business Investment Fund was reviewed in order to determine the " its level of economic benefit to the rural communities of southeastern Utah, measure  the effects the program has had on participants’ use of public assistance, and look at the efficiency of program administration. The main goal of this group is to help lower income families, wanting to start a small business, the opportunity to do so by funding proceedings. As of now, it is only funding businesses in the rural southeast of Utah, but hopes to expand soon to other areas as well. 

This applies to my research because small businesses are vital to Utah's economy. In supporting those who are willing to start their own small businesses, helps the economy grow immensely, especially in the rural areas of Utah where there are not many large franchises to shop from. Though this is a great program, it has been short lived for some because there is still a significant amount of public assistance payout still occurring for the area. Overall, it has proved to be beneficial for most participating businesses. 

 Utah. Legislature. Office of the Legislative Auditor General. Southeast Utah Small Business Investment Fund Provides Some Economic Benefits. Salt Lake City, 2006. [Report to the Utah Legislature] ; No. 2006-07. Utah State Library. Web. 21 Mar. 2016. <http://www.le.utah.gov/audit/06_07rpt.pdf>.  

 Utah. Legislature. Office of the Legislative Auditor General. (2006). Southeast Utah small business investment fund provides some economic benefits ([Report to the Utah Legislature] ; no. 2006-07). Salt Lake City. Retrieved March 21, 2016, from http://www.le.utah.gov/audit/06_07rpt.pdf 

3/50

The 3/50 Project was designed to stimulate local economy and create an opportunity for small businesses to be stronger in clientele. It encourages customers to pick just three local small businesses and spend fifty dollars. It has been proven that when $100 are spent, $68 of that stays local. This is in comparison to only $43 from national chains, and zero when bought online. This will generate upwards of 43 billion dollars in extra revenue. This is a call to action. You as the customer must be willing to shop local.

The 3/50 Project is another great resource for small businesses. In my personal life, the business I work for, is a part of this. It really does help, more than one would expect. Working in conjunction with Small Business Saturday as well, gives these store owners a chance to survive,

 "The 3/50 Project ::: Home." The 3/50 Project ::: Home. Web. 02 Mar. 2016. <http://www.the350project.net/home.html>. 

 The 3/50 Project ::: Home. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2016, from http://www.the350project.net/home.html 

Open the Doors

When the recession hit in 2008, small businesses all over were forced to let employees go or close doors. The majority of businesses in Utah have less than one hundred employees so this was really hard for many people to go through. That being said, even though so many got let go, once the economy started back on track, small businesses started to hire those people back. This helped the economy grow even more to get back on track. Hiring in small businesses has created a commitment to keeping those businesses alive.

This applied to the historical aspect of my research as I looked at the recession and what it did for small businesses. In this, I learned that the more people who are hired into small businesses tend to stay and work better than those in a large company. Small businesses are a risk, so having loyal employees is a must.

Coon, John. "Opening The Doors: Utah Small Businesses Enjoying Growth Again." Utah Business 26.9 (2012): 44. Regional Business News. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

Coon, J. (2012). Opening the Doors: Utah Small Businesses Enjoying Growth Again. Utah Business, 26(9), 44.

Going Local

By spotlighting small businesses here in Utah, we can get an idea of how vital they are to Utah economy. We learn that the owners are just like you and me and need support to stay in business. In return, these owners are being innovative in what they are setting their businesses up to be. They are keeping up with changes in technology and styles of retail. We get to know these people in the way they portray the business they worked so hard to create.

This article works well with my research because it mentions the two businesses that got me interested on the topic in the first place, Jane and Groopdealz (now Eleventh Avenue). When I noticed that more and more the clothing I was purchasing came from small local stores, I wondered how much have they impacted the economy around me or if there was even a difference without them. This is how I got the topic of small business  sustainability with and emphasis on the fashion aspect.

Beers, Heather. "Going Local." Utah Business 29.6 (2015): 56. Regional Business News. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

Beers, H. (2015). Going Local. Utah Business, 29(6), 56.