Day 66 of #LiveWell2017

One of my favorite things about living in the city, this city (Portland, OR) is the abundance of small, locally-owned businesses. From restaurants to yarn shops, independent book stores to grocers, art galleries to breweries, there are so many excellent businesses run by dedicated, passionate, talented local folks who want to make a living and build community at the same time. I am grateful for every one of them!

These folks deserve our thanks and our support. They help strengthen our neighborhoods, provide personal service, and keep our money in our community. They keep communities vibrant, providing jobs and opportunities for all kinds of people. In this era when shopping online is the norm, many small, local businesses are suffering. When they shut their doors, the character of our neighborhoods change and the strength of our diversity is lost.

So get out there and thank your locally-owned businesses by supporting them and letting them know how much you appreciate them. Some of my favorite local businesses here in PDX are Powell’s Books, Mother Foucault’s Books, Vino,  Presents of Mind, Bazi Bierbrasserie, Next Adventure, Black Star Bags, F. H. Steinbart, and People’s Food Co-op. To find more locally-owned businesses, check here. And there are lots of resources about supporting local businesses and empowering communities here.

Today is #NationalBeHeardDay – an opportunity for small businesses to be heard above the noise and mega-million dollar marketing of large multi-national corporations. Let’s help them out by sharing our love for them. Thank you, local businesses!

What are your favorite locally-owned businesses where you live? Give them a shout-out below…