Facts about small businesses:

1. Small businesses keep the money local -- significantly more revenue stays local, as opposed to non-local chains, franchises, and big box stores.  For every $100 spent at a locally-owned business, roughly $68 stays in the local economy compared to only $43 if spent at a national chain.
2. Small businesses build stronger communities -- Small business owners are leaders.  More small businesses locally means more leaders locally.  Locally-owned firms contribute more to local charities and fundraisers than do their national counterparts.
3. Small businesses promote subsidiarity -- A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term, and prevent "power" and "influence" from being concentrated in a few (and often remote) hands.
4. Small businesses pay better, on average -- the owners are working right there with their workers.  They may not pay a lot of million dollar salaries, but they pay decent wages to a number of local workers (far better than what they'd earn working a service job for a big box store).
5. Small businesses support other local small businesses -- Local retailers and distributors also carry a higher percentage of locally-made goods than the chains, creating more jobs for local producers.

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