You hear it all the time, but why should you REALLY support small businesses.

The Small Business Administration says small businesses:
-create 1/2 of the U.S. economy.
-pay more than 45 percent of total U.S. private payroll.
-have generated 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the last decade.
-create innovation that protects the environment.
-have owners that live, work, and play where their businesses are located.
http://app1.sba.gov/faqs/faqIndexAll.cfm?areaid=24

The Center for Small Business and the Environment says:
- Small business owners are politically active & 95% of them are registered to vote compared to the national average of 72%.
http://www.aboutcsbe.org/environmentalists.html

The Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance says:
-Nonprofits receive an average 350% more support from local business owners than they do from non-locally owned businesses.

PLUS:
-When you support small businesses, you support your city.
-Small businesses are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products.
http://sev.prnewswire.com/banking-financial-services/20070611/AQM04611062007-1.html

To Find a Local Business Near You, CLICK HERE