CityView Magazine

in the marketplace Local Flavor I 'Buying Local' can mean several different things BY BRANDON PLOTNICK nity come back to the Chamber and to small businesses in general. In our discussion, the business owners and I talked about recently had the privilege of meeting with two local business owners outside of my role with the Fay- etteville Regional Chamber of Commerce. Inevitably, though, most conversations in this business commu- what it means to own a local business and what it means to be in a community that supports local businesses. It's a touchy subject for some, and an issue that has no right or wrong answers. The City of Fayetteville has started a new initiative called in to a franchise model that works, but does that mean they aren't local? What about restaurants? In a community like ours, where large portions of the population aren't from here and prob- ably won't be here for long, there's comfort in patronizing a business with a national brand name. People know they can get the same great food here or find the same quality of mer- chandise and service that they did back home. There's nothing wrong with that mentality. Think about how many times you shop somewhere just because it's where you feel comfortable. So maybe what makes a business local isn't whether it has "Fayetteville First". The idea is that initial preference will be given to local businesses when it comes to awarding taxpayer- funded contracts for goods and services. It's a wonderful idea that helps spread money back here in our community. And, at its base, it seems like such a simple issue — but it's actually pretty complex. a recognizable name or not. Maybe it's the feeling you get from the business. Do the employees treat you well? Are they your friends, family and neighbors? Does the business pump money back into our local economy? Ultimately, the definition of "local business" is entirely up So maybe what makes a business local isn't whether it has a recognizable name or not. Maybe it's the feeling you get from the business. are clearly and easily defined as "local businesses". They are long-time residents here and own businesses that are strict- ly local. They are not part of a chain or a regional brand. If someone asks for a recommendation for a local shop in these industries, I can easily recommend them. But what is local to one person isn't always local to another. The two business owners I spoke with have businesses that local people is fantastic. Helping these small businesses grow is crucial to our community. Likewise, if you choose to spend your money at chain locations that are owned by local people and operated by local people, that's great too. Those chains likely all started out as local shops somewhere at one time. Thinking about our upcoming "Small Business Saturday" What about the Embassy Suites? Sure, it's a national brand with locations all over the country, but the Mehta family owns the local franchise. The Mehtas are a good local family who live here, work here, shop here, pay taxes here and hire local people to work at the hotel. Those are all benchmarks for what makes a business local. The Mehtas happened to buy 18 | November/December • 2012 Communications for the Fayetteville Regional Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at 910.433.6766 and bplotnick@ fayettevillencchamber.org. on Nov. 24, we at the Chamber aren't focusing our efforts on the name on the front of a business, but the people in the back. That's where true success will come from. CV Brandon Plotnick is the Coordinator for Marketing and to each individual and his or her network of contacts. Spend- ing money exclusively with small businesses that are owned by

• Cover