Next week – November 26 to December 5 – is "Buy Local" week nationwide. It's not about small towns; it's about small businesses. Even New York City is getting on the bandwagon with Small Business Saturday on November 27.

It's "... a day to come together in support of the small businesses we love, the shops and restaurants that employ our neighbors and reinvest our money close to home, the businesses that are the heartbeat of our communities and local economies," according to The 3/50 Project, one of its sponsors.

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5 Ways Local Network Helps Small Businesses Attract Customers, Financing, and Government Support

by Geri Stengel on Apr 22, 2010 - 8:00am

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Locally owned businesses in Santa Fe, NM, formed the Santa Fe Alliance to help the local economy. That was in 2003. Now, the Alliance has grown to be a major advocacy, education, and financial resource for locally owned business. Its growth and its effectiveness exemplify the power of networks for small businesses.

Small Business Network Builds for Members and Community

by Geri Stengel on Mar 25, 2010 - 10:15am

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Ellen Shepard runs a network for mostly mom-and-pop stores in a neighborhood of Chicago. She's focused on a mile-long stretch of one of Chicago's main streets.

Instead of being taken over by big-box and chain stores – they did try to move in – the Andersonville neighborhood has become a dining and shopping destination for Chicago residents, in part because the neighborhood businesses worked together to preserve their small-town feel.