'Look Local First' During National Small Business Week
GREATER DES MOINES, IA – The Greater Des Moines Partnership is participating in National Small Business Week by encouraging businesses to Look Local First. Local businesses and organizations are encouraged to make a pledge to shift 5 percent of their spending to local vendors.
National Small Business Week, hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), runs through May 6. According to the SBA, The 28 million small businesses in America account for 54 percent of all U.S. sales. Small businesses provide 55 percent of all jobs and 66 percent of all net new jobs since the 1970s. The 600,000-plus franchised small businesses in the United States account for 40 percent of all retail sales and provide jobs for some eight million people.
Greater Des Moines businesses can participate in Small Business Week by pledging to be part of The Partnership’s Look Local First initiative. Look Local First is an initiative to promote local expertise, products and services. Each year, businesses and local governments in Greater Des Moines (DSM) spend more than $13.4 billion with out-of-area suppliers. Shifting just 5 percent of spending to local vendors could generate an economic impact of more than $1 billion for Des Moines.
“There is great local expertise in industries such as manufacturing, legal services, advertising and many more here in our community,” said Meg Schneider, Senior Vice President of Business Resources and Community Development at The Partnership. “We encourage businesses in this region to first consider a local vendor, and residents to first consider local retailers and service providers.”
Learn more about Look Local First at LookLocalDSM.com.
About the Greater Des Moines Partnership
The Greater Des Moines Partnership is the economic and community development organization that serves Greater Des Moines (DSM), Iowa. Together with 23 Affiliate Chambers of Commerce, more than 6,100 Regional Business Members and more than 330 Investors, The Partnership drives economic growth with one voice, one mission and as one region. Through innovation, strategic planning and global collaboration, The Partnership grows opportunity, helps create jobs and promotes DSM as the best place to build a business, a career and a future. Learn more at DSMpartnership.com.