RSS
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
Steve hit it on the head. The "shop local" can be split between trendy and common sense. There's a group of people that might shop local or push shopping local because it's currently the thing to do whether the business, offering, etc. are worthwhile or not. When you step away from that way of thinking (or it goes away), what makes sense? It comes down to what your dollars do for both you and your local economy.
A lot of local businesses offer products or services that are better quality or value for a number of reasons or they're simply unique. Restaurants are a special subset because local restaurants will often bring in local ingredients that allow them to create better food for you versus your Applebee's, etc. that aren't able to source in this manner. Then you'll have some local restaurants that might not source local ingredients/products, but might give you a more enjoyable experience than America's Favorite Neighborhood Grill.
Ironically, I'm in more of the retail arena and we sell what some might consider a commodity product (wine) because there's a big overlap of what's offered, whether it's the local retailers or chains, so it's our services and shop experience are what we must use to differentiate ourselves in addition to procuring some wines that aren't widely distributed.
There are local businesses that are either a bad idea or not operated to their maximum potential and they will come and go. Businesses like The Candle Lab thrive because of their offerings, not necessarily because they're local.
Launched in August 2010, TheMetropreneur.com is a local online resource devoted to small business development and entrepreneurship. Its aim is to tell the stories of Central Ohio's business community, foster regional economic development and assist entrepreneurs with its resource-heavy focus.