Open Mike Tuesday:  the trend to "buy local" has reached fever pitch in the last couple of years.  From major national PR efforts like Small Business Saturday sponsored by American Express, to the Dunwoody Chamber who has been promoting Dunwoody's local business community since 2008, to the latest effort by the Patch in union with Artichoke Designs in the Williamsburg shopping center via the 3/50 Project.  Lots of stats about how much small local businesses support the economy, how the majority of taxes are paid by the business community and how Dunwoody homeowners will pay lower taxes if the business community is strong, yadda, yadda, yadda.  I'm all for it too because my own firm caters to these small businesses, creating websites that will enhance their visibility and sales on a budget they can afford.

I'd like to hear from you.  Comments are open, you can be anonymous if you want.  There are no right or wrong answers here.

Does being "local" really make a difference when you shop?  Do you see shopping at a locally-owned enterprise as an imperative to sustain our community?  Or does it come down to trust in the brand, regardless of whether it is "local" or not?  Do you even see the correlation between where and how you shop and the success of Dunwoody?   Why do enterprises, like Red Mango above, fail?  Why do other succeed?Are there reasons not to patronize the smaller businesses or localized shopping centers in Dunwoody?

Share your thoughts when you have a moment this week!