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In a mere matter of weeks, the coronavirus outbreak has sent shockwaves through the small business community, turning a period of growth and prosperity into one of uncertainty and stimulus packages.
With an election year on the horizon, many state and federal policies are poised to come under a microscope. As they do, small business owners across the country will be watching with concerns and ideas of their own. The results of the 2019 Independent Business Survey, released Tuesday by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), show that small businesses need policies that level the playing field between independents and their amorphous competitors.
By this point, the story seems all too familiar: A government-sanctioned merger has consolidated yet another industry, leaving small businesses in danger of being squeezed out altogether. In recent years, the same story has repeated itself in the cable television sector, the beef industry and the utility market. This time, it’s something much less visible to the average American consumer: office supplies. A recent merger involving Staples could allow two dominant companies to oust small competitors from the industry.
By Marie Donahue The following blog post appears courtesy of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. For additional information on the importance of supporting local independent businesses, please sign up for their Hometown Advantage Newsletter. Locally owned businesses play a central role in healthy communities and are among the best engines that cities and towns have for advancing economic opportunity and building resilient places. Small business ownership has been a pathway…read more →
In delivering a long-awaited decision on Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court closed a decades long tax loophole that gave online-only retailers an unfair advantage over local brick-and-mortar businesses.
As a small business owner, there’s no doubt that you are an expert in your field. Whether you can recommend the perfect record for a customer’s vinyl collection or whip up the tastiest pastry your community has ever known, your small business’ success is a testament to your expertise.
Did you know that half of all U.S. households are members of Amazon Prime? Did you know that four companies control nearly 85 percent of the U.S. beef market? More importantly, do you know how those statistics impact you and your local community? If you subscribe to Building Local Power, a new podcast from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), then you know that those staggering statistics can spell doom…read more →
Long gone are the days when “Amazon” made you think of a river or a rainforest. While the geographic landscape that inspired its name may actually be shrinking, the more familiar Amazon is growing at a staggering pace. A new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) demonstrates Amazon’s growth and the worrisome impacts it has on independent businesses. According to the report, Amazon sells more books, toys, and…read more →
The November elections decided much more than the presidency. From local telecommunications control in Colorado to the minimum wage in various states, policies in several states and cities are changing after Election Day. For better or worse, that change can create confusing times for local residents and business owners, which makes the work of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) all the more important. Founded in 1974, ILSR is a…read more →
North Dakota has no chain pharmacies within its borders. It’s a scenario that sounds impossible for a modern society, but the 100-percent local system is a big win for the state.
