We live in an area with a history of greatness! Our roots run deep and our work ethic runs deeper. Our city of Flint, Michigan has had its ups and downs in the past, and thanks to some local entrepreneurs with great vision, we are again on the upswing.
When someone asks you, “What’s your favorite place to eat in Flint?” your mind will typically drift to a place that is unique to you, where you’ve met with friends and enjoyed laughing and making memories with them. Café Rhema or Table & Tap, perhaps Tenacity Brewing is your favorite new local watering hole. Rarely would someone answer, “Ohhhh … that (national chain) is amazing! You have to try it!”
Local, small businesses are the lifeblood of Flint’s comeback. According to Forbes.com, over 50 percent of America’s entire workforce (120 million people) is employed by small businesses! The chances are that if you are out with a group of ten friends, at least five of them are employed by a local company that in some way depends on your patronage. Based on a study done by Statisticbrain.com, roughly 71 percent of American small businesses will fail within the first ten years. Many of our local business owners have invested practically all of their life savings in an attempt to help Flint maintain the character and spirit of community. These business owners are the same people who are serving on our local boards, attending local churches, and striving to better our community. I can’t say I know of one owner of a large national chain who has invested any of their personal time or energy into the comeback of Flint.
We owe it to our city to start really paying attention to our spending habits. If we want a true restoration of Flint, we need to start putting our money where our hearts are. Greater things are in store for our community, and it starts with each and every one of us. So I challenge us: between now and the end of the year (the largest spending season) to focus on supporting local small business owners.
Our new Farmers’ Market will continue to thrive only if we are utilizing the amazing produce and great meals that are offered there by our local farmers and vendors. If you and the family are heading out to eat on Sunday afternoon, think about all the places that are owned by local businesses and need those customers. The next time I need to buy a suit, I know of a great downtown shop, roughly half a mile from my office. As these business owners survive and thrive, it will quicken the pace at which our city not only is restored, but is also taken to new heights. All big cities go through valleys, but it is our local entrepreneurs who are putting their stakes in the ground and saying, “the best is yet to come.”
There is hope for our future, and I encourage us all to use this upcoming holiday season to shop locally and be a part of our great city’s comeback.
800.338.4586 olvinvest.com The Durant 607 E. 2nd Ave, Ste. 100 Flint, MI 48502 jlagore@olvinvest.com It is not possible to invest directly into an index. Securities offered through Sigma Financial Corporation, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through SPC, a registered investment advisor. OLV Investment Group is independent of Sigma Financial Corporation and SPC.
800.338.4586 olvinvest.com The Durant 607 E 2nd Ave., Ste. 100 Flint, MI 48502 jlagore@olvinvest.com Securities offered through Sigma Financial Corporation, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through SPC, a registered investment advisor. OLV Investment Group is independent of Sigma Financial Corporation and SPC.
