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Health & Fitness

Small Business in Connecticut, and Why it Matters to You

Want to learn about how small business in Connecticut affects you? Read on to learn one local business owner's perspective about why our economy depends on you caring about small business.

We had our of Key Hyundai of Manchester around Valentine's Day. We invested $2.5 million into a new facility on the Vernon/Manchester town line. I know, right now you're thinking, "who cares? Here's some local business owner peddling her wares." And, you know what, I would probably be thinking the same thing if I was in your shoes. 

But, you should care. You should care about the small business investment that happens in your community, your town and our state of Connecticut. Why?

For starters, according to local Chambers of Commerce, for every $100 spent locally, $68 is returned to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures versus only $43 when your dollars are spent with out-of-state companies. 

Find out what's happening in Manchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If that still doesn't impress you, how about this? According the Small Business Adminstration, Connecticut had 75,626 small business employers in 2006 and they make up 50 percent of the total jobs in Connecticut!  So, if you are employed in Connecticut, there's a one-in-two chance that you work for a small business.  Not only that, but as of the last study, nearly all of the net new jobs created in Connecticut were created by small businesses. Who would have thunk small businesses would be more stable that our mighty corporations? Certainly not me!

I know one person who gets that: Senator Richard Blumenthal. Now, before you get turned off, this isn't a political endorsement. I'm pathetically apolitical. What this is is one business owner, one mom, one lifelong Connecticut resident who was highly impressed that Senator Blumenthal cares enough about small business to come to our Grand Re-opening celebration. We didn't hound him or track him down, all we did was send an invitation. Believe me when I say, there was nothing in it for him. There was no major broadcast media there, no press releases, no chance for big votes, just a Connecticut small business celebrating reinvestment in the Vernon/Manchester community. He had no possee, no driver, no press corp, just him. And, it was a Sunday. 

Find out what's happening in Manchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

So, a huge thanks for Senator Blumental for supporting small business in Connecticut. And, the next time you have the option to buy local versus big box retailer, think about supporting your local business. Our state's economic survival may just depend on it. 

I would love to hear your comments about how you support local business in Connecticut and why?

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