More than twenty years ago, the Shop Local Movement began in earnest to highlight the importance of shopping locally and to build sustainable local economies. This expanded into a slightly broader movement of Buy Local, recognizing that local business is much more than our retail shops.
Now the movement is taking another leap to Live Local, broadening once again the scope of local. This next step builds awareness and reinforces the perspective that our every action has an impact on our local community. Thriving communities filled with local businesses are not happenstance. What may appear to be organic, requires intentional actions by local governments, neighborhoods, small businesses, and customers with a single goal in mind—to create and nurture a local-focused community that thrives. There is a role for everyone and it takes working together to create the kind of communities we want to live in.
The Local Business Institute is thrilled to be collaborating with Local First La Plata in a program to enhance the resilience of rural small businesses in Colorado following the COVID-19 pandemic. The program includes the creation and implementation of specialized workshops designed to empower rural, local businesses and their employees. This work is funded by a grant, generously awarded by The Colorado Community College System in partnership with the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade.
The collaboration of a strong local organization and a national nonprofit bring a substantial collection of resources to local businesses in the pursuit of a common goal. By promoting innovative thinking, seizing opportunities, and fostering actionable plans for success, this collaboration aims to revitalize the independent business sector crucial for sustaining rural economies. Small independent businesses play a pivotal role in local economies by reinvesting a substantial portion of their earnings back into the community, creating jobs, promoting employee loyalty, and contributing to overall economic stability.
The grant activities include training and coaching vulnerable small local businesses, fortifying these enterprises, and ensuring they emerge stronger from the challenges posed by the pandemic. The intensive workshops lead businesses to think differently, allowing for a different perspective on new markets and customers. It’s a reset button that opens opportunities. Businesses can participate collectively in guided cohorts or individually at their own pace and as time allows.
