Local, sustainable businesses promote strong communities

Each month, the Nisqually River Council meeting focuses on a theme or indicator featured in the Nisqually Watershed Stewardship Plan (NWSP). In September, we centered on the idea of sustainable businesses. The NRC strives to “promote the development of sustainable businesses and built communities” because we believe a strong economy that recognizes the importance of the local environment is central to the overall success of the Nisqually Watershed.

To help drive that point home, the September NRC meeting featured guest speaker Rachel Friedman. Rachel is a small business owner in Olympia, WA and acts as the President of Sustainable South Sound (SSS). SSS is a non-profit organization that works to promote local businesses and sustainable business practices in the south Puget Sound region. Among other things, SSS creates and distributes the Buy Local Coupon Book and the Living Local Newsletter.

According to Rachel, there are 10 main reasons why local businesses support a sustainable economy, and contribute to a healthier environment:

1. Small businesses support the local economy. Consumers who purchase items from a locally owned business help keep money within their communities.
2. Local businesses create more jobs, because small businesses employ more local people.
3. They build prosperity through diversity, and create greater resiliency and strength in times of economic downturns.
4. Sustainable businesses reduce environmental impacts more frequently than their larger counterparts, because local business owners are more invested in their neighborhood ecosystems.
5. Local businesses support community groups.
6. They keep our communities unique and promote a sense of place. A greater variety of local businesses can increase tourism in an area, because people often seek communities with distinctive character.
7. Consumers get better service from small businesses. Local business owners tend to take the time to learn more about who their customers are.
8. Local businesses invest in their community.
9. Shopping local & promoting local businesses puts tax dollars to good use, because local companies located in town centers tend to require less infrastructure and rely less on social services than national corporations.
10. Local and sustainable businesses are more likely to find what their customers want, rather than make consumers buy what they have. This encourages innovation and helps keep prices low.

The Nisqually Watershed is the proud home of many small and locally owned businesses. We encourage you to support your community owned businesses!

The Nisqually Watershed Stewardship Plan

The Nisqually River Council (NRC) is a non-regulatory education and advocacy organization that works to promote sustainability in the Nisqually Watershed. The NRC was formed in 1987 and has 24 active members, including a robust Citizens Advisory Committee. The NRC is guided by the Nisqually Watershed Stewardship Plan (NWSP) which provides a blueprint towards ecological, economic and social sustainability. The NWSP has 11 indicators that direct the actions of the NRC and associated non-profits. As a part of our 2016 blog feed, we will highlight each of the 11 indicators during the first week of each month. We hope you’ll read along and learn more about the Nisqually Watershed!

This month’s topic is Sustainable Businesses. We envision:

1. An increase in sustainable manufacturing within the watershed.
2. Goods and services are produced within regenerative and/or zero waste systems.
3. Increased investment in natural capital by small and large business owners.
4. Developed areas of the watershed support ecosystem services.