Who We Are?

Local First Vermont is a group of citizens including local business owners, professionals, non-profit leaders and government representatives who are committed to preserving the character and prosperity of Vermont's economy, community networks and natural landscape.

Mission:

Our mission is to preserve and enhance the economic, human, and natural vitality of Vermont communities by promoting the importance of purchasing from locally owned independent businesses.

Vision:

We envision a robust and sustainable economy fueling vibrant communities, built (in part) on the cornerstone value and practice of "buying local first".

Strategic Objectives:

• Strengthen the Bottom Line... To increase the purchase of products, supplies, and services of locally owned independent businesses.

• Create a Brand... To create a well-defined, easily recognizable Local First Vermont  brand that stands for: serving local customers’ tastes and owners’ preferences, spending monies locally, carrying a higher percentage of locally made goods, and providing unique goods and services that contribute to the nature and character of Vermont.

• Public Awareness... To educate the community about the benefits of supporting locally owned businesses and purchasing local products and services.  In other words, helping community members to view themselves as citizens first and consumers second.  Part of this process will be to engage Vermont communities in active dialogue about our future --will it be our town or any town?

• Business Advocacy... To develop a diverse network of entrepreneurs, non-profit and community members committed to our mission. Local First Vermont works to advocate for community-wide support of local businesses, speaks to the concerns of independent businesses and encourages further diversification of the independent business base in response to local market imperatives.

Goals:

We will achieve the above by:
Organizing Local First Vermont Campaigns that raise the awareness of consumers, businesses, and government agencies regarding the benefits of purchasing from locally owned businesses.
Bringing together independent businesses and other “buy local” organizations for education, networking and mutual support opportunities.
Supporting Vermont legislation that promotes locally owned businesses.
We believe that once people understand how their community dollars are being exported to distant states, they will choose to support locally owned businesses, where profits are reinvested within the community. Armed with the facts, {link to resources} Vermonters will choose to protect and stimulate our local culture and economic growth.

YOUR CHOICE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!