Dear Editor, When most people hear the term “small business”, they think just that: “small.” But that’s not the case here in Vermont, where small businesses make up 99% of all businesses and employ more than 60% of the state’s total workforce, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Small businesses play an outsized role here and are the backbone of our economy. But there’s still tremendous room to grow.   The creative and service sector alone — marketing agencies, web designers, branding firms, consultants — contributed nearly $1.2 billion to the Vermont economy and accounted for more than 10,000 jobs in 2023, according to the Vermont Arts Council. These aren’t small numbers. They make a difference. Yet when most of us think about shopping locally, we picture farmers’ markets, not offices. Fresh tomatoes, maple syrup and artisan products. These products matter, but they’re only part of the picture. What if we extended that same “shop local” commitment to business services at work — advertising, public relations, accounting, legal services, information technology and web design? As business leaders, we have the opportunity to make a huge economic impact by choosing to work with a Vermont-based business. It is just as much a local investment as buying that tomato, though you’d have to buy a lot of tomatoes to equal the economic impact. The ripple effects are real. Service sector businesses create well-paying jobs right here where we live — jobs that help pay mortgages, taxes and health insurance premiums, and that stimulate our local economies. Jobs that attract a younger workforce and help regrow our dwindling and aging population. These businesses deserve our support because without them, Vermont wouldn’t be Vermont. The logic is simple: money that stays in Vermont flows back into your community and supports your neighbors’ livelihoods and the broader ecosystem that makes this state worth living in. When you source services from somewhere else, that benefit disappears. The farmers’ market movement built a culture of intentional, local buying for goods. Let’s not forget that mindset in every economic decision we make, including who we choose to do business with and why.  Choose Vermont.  Steve Crafts, Burlington, Vt. Read the story on VTDigger here: Steve Crafts: Shop local services, not just local goods. ...read more read less