All Business Is Local

It's an election year and you'll probably hear "All Politics is Local" a few times. It's also a good time to remember that much (inarguably not all, but a lot!) of business is local, too. (In fact, if anyone has the numbers out there on how much of the economy flows through locally-owned companies I'd love to see it!)

Here's a quick article out of the Harrisonburg, VA Daily News Record on the benefits of businesses belonging to their local chamber of commerce. It's not just about free marketing, sponsoring the local arts and crafts fest or making a float for the Founder's Day Parade. According to a recent study, it's about trust; potential customers appear to find a company's products or services more credible if they are members of the local chamber.

The question, even for local companies with a national or global scope, is: why WOULDN'T you belong to the local chamber? It's not only part of being a good corporate citizen- to be active in your neighborhood- but it's also where your employees (and you!) live. Here's hoping the biggest of the big remember to participate locally, too.