Let’s all give it up for the mom and pop shops of Oregon. There is nothing more important to the economy of Oregon and no bigger factor propping up our communities than our local, small businesses.
Small Businesses
As governor, I will be creating the first of its kind, Mom and Pop Shop Program. My administration will be making the biggest push in Oregon’s history to invest in, promote and support the local businesses.
This will be a much needed boost to help increase Oregon’s GDP by focusing on the retail small businesses. It will be my aim to bolster local neighborhood shops and new start-ups through constant promotion at a state-wide level. The momentum we build will have a profound and long-lasting effect on the success of our state’s economy.
Professional Advisors
Led by proven, professional advisors we will develop a game plan that begins with modernizing the online presence of smaller retail spaces. My Oregon Retail Online program will use the power of the collective to bring greater attention to products offered by Oregon small businesses.
With a strong and Healthy Real Estate Market, contractors and builders will be encouraged to purchase their material from Oregon-made products. This will be a massive boost to our economy.
In addition, we will make it easier to start a new business by focusing attention on SBA loans which are not widely known but are available and should be taken advantage of with greater frequency.
My administration will aim to provide general and targeted tax and regulatory relief as well as financial assistance, tax incentives, technical assistance, and workforce development initiatives.
Nothing has proven better at keeping money flowing through a local community than shopping at your local businesses. If Oregonians can shift purchasing habits from national, mega-chains to small businesses or farmers markets than more money will remain in your local community.
Local Economy
Look at it this way. Let’s say you get paid $20 from working at a local donut shop. You use that $20 to buy lunch from a local street vendor. The street vendor uses that $20 to take a taxi home. Then that taxi driver uses the $20 to pay his babysitter. The babysitter uses that $20 to buy groceries at the local farmers market and so on. You see…that one $20 bill just produced $100 of economic value that stayed within the community which is really good for the local economy.
Anywhere along that $20 bill’s journey it could have been spent at Walmart, Taco Bell or IKEA, and whoosh, the profits from your hard-earned money are siphoned directly out of Oregon and into the bank account of some millionaire stranger. Zero economic benefit to your small town and community.
Concerned about higher prices or smaller inventory? When you support local, those businesses will then have the resources to hire more staff, invest in a larger selection, reduce their prices or offer more frequent sales. Supporting local businesses is a win-win.
Anchor Stores
I understand that national, mega-chains are often important anchor stores to help a new community grow. They can also be franchised-owned by locals. Yes, they do provide employment and by no means am I suggesting Oregonians completely abandon them. They are important to a successful community. But when a resident exclusively or primarily shops at national, mega-chains…they are ultimately hurting themselves and their neighbors.
My administration will be doing everything in its power to create a very prosperous economy for all Oregonians. Support your local businesses. Mom-and-Pop Shops
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