Articles about Local Economies
Trade Local Articles about Local Economy
The Benefits of Doing Business Locally
-Supporting community-based businesses supports community

Publications
Edible Chesapeake
Washington Gardener Magazine

Recommended Books 

The Small-Mart Revolution by Michael Shuman

Contrary to popular belief, many small, locally owned businesses actually out-perform their “big box” and Fortune 500 competition—both in outright profitability and the value they bring to consumers, workers, and communities. Unlike mega-stores and multi-national chains like Wal-Mart, these small businesses stimulate the economy by buying supplies and services locally, adapt to (rather than fight against) higher local environmental and labor regulations, and stick around for many years, often many generations.

The Small-Mart Revolution details dozens of specific strategies small and home-based businesses are using to successfully out-compete the world’s largest companies. And it shows how consumers, investors, policymakers, and organizers can effectively revitalize their own communities by supporting local businesses.

Unique Places in DC by Crown Guides. Publisher-Dan Easton

Crown Guides released Unique Places in DC- An Insider's Guide to Shopping the District's Indie-Boutiques to feature 100 of the District's independent retailers.

Publisher Dan Easton said, "the book is a departure from the typical travel guide and offers a genuine DC experience. Both area residents who want to support local businesses and visitors looking for the hippest places to shop will benefit from reading this book." The book was sponsored by the Washington DC Economic Partnership (WDCEP).

The Company We Keep: Reinventing Small Business for People, Community, and Place by John Abrams

The Company We Keep is more than the success story of a revolutionary company. It sets down a framework for a model of employee ownership and community involvement that has piqued the interest of entrepreneurs around the country. In the words of Abrams, "This is a book about a different way of doing business in today's world - a way based on workplace democracy, shared ownership, staying small, building community, commitment to a place, and long-term thinking."

The Great American Jobs Scam by Greg Leroy

Corporate America has perverted economic development, using "job blackmail" (the threat of relocation), dubious "business climate" studies, and secretive "site location consultants" to win subsidies from states and cities that often exceed $100,000 per job. The result: Corporate tax rates have been slashed, shifting a higher tax burden onto working families. Greg LeRoy offers common-sense reforms that will give taxpayers powerful new tools to deter future abuses and redirect taxpayer investments in ways that will really pay off. 

 
Raising the Bar: Integrity and Passion in Life and Business by Gary Erickson

In April of 2000, Gary Erickson turned down a $120 million offer to buy his thriving company. Today, instead of taking it easy for the rest of his life and enjoying a luxurious retirement, he's working harder than ever. Raising the Bar tells the unusual and inspiring story about following your passion, the freedom to create, sustaining a business over the long haul, and living responsibly in your community and on the earth.

The Post-Corporate World by David Korten

An extensively researched, powerfully argued, eye-opening critique of how today's corporate capitalism is destroying the things of real value in the world, including practical alternatives that will help restore health to markets, democracy, and everyday life.

 

The Home Town Advantage by Stacy Mitchell

Across the U.S., cities and towns are grappling with the proliferation of chain stores and the loss of locally owned businesses. The trends are dismal, but trends are not destiny. Concentration occurs only when we allow it to occur and currently, public policy not only allows absentee ownership, it actively encourages it. From local zoning ordinances to federal antitrust policy, The Home Town Advantage provides a comprehensive guide to reviving the hometown economy.

Fields of Plenty: A farmer's journey in search of real food and the people who grow it by Michael Ableman

In a fast-food nation, a growing community of farmers and food artisans is producing sustainable nourishment that is respectful of the land and rich in heritage, flavor, and commitment. This is their story, told by one of their own.

Purchase these books at your local bookstore:
Busboys and Poets
Politics and Prose
Kramer Books