What does it mean to "buy local"? Does it mean to shop within the Heights' borders? Does the size of the business matter? Or does buy local mean refusing to shop at chain retailers and limiting your spending to "mom and pop" stores?

When I've asked Heights' residents what they like most about our community, people often mention the unique and charming businesses you find in the Heights.

For me, buying local is important to our community for a few key reasons:

1) You can shake hands with the owner. The Heights is one of few places left where you can actually visit a locally owned business and shake the owner's hand. (In the case of Tommy's, the owner will even cook you pancakes!) Locally owned businesses have an intangible quality. Having the proprietor involved with day to day operations ensures exceptional service and a unique shopping experience.

2) Sixty-eight cents of every dollar spent at a locally owned business is reinvested into the community.  Compare that to the forty-three cents that is returned to the community when you shop at a chain store. Local businesses are more likely to be owned by residents of the community who by nature are more inclined to buy local. This cycle keeps more money in the community. With chain retail operations, the majority of every dollar goes back to non-local suppliers and distant corporate offices. You can check out national statistics and further information about the economic benefit of locals vs. chains at The Hometown Advantage, a project of NewRules.org

3) Vacancies scar our community. When we lose a local business it creates a ripple effect throughout the community. Local jobs are lost. Vacant store fronts reduce the desirability of surrounding businesses and reduce the amount of taxes that our local government can collect in order to provide community services. Because starting a small business is difficult and many new businesses fail, local businesses often give way to chain franchises. This in turn causes a little bit the Heights charm to disappear and puts pressure on the City to cut expenses or raise taxes on its remaining residents and businesses.

My father taught me that in order for our business to succeed in Cleveland Heights we need many other successful local businesses. I'm not asking you to spend every dollar in the Heights, but why not make a conscious effort to give local businesses a chance? I guarantee that if you do you'll discover a little bit of what makes the Heights such a great place to live. And, you'll help out the community you live in at the same time.

Got comments? You can email me at Trevorgile@motorcarshonda.com, or post them on the Heights Observer’s interactive Observation Deck at http://heightsobserver.org/deck/index.php.

Trevor Gile is the General Sales Manager – Honda, of MotorCarsHonda in Cleveland Heights.