Most of us think elections only come every four years, but they are actually constantly happening.  One of the most important “elections” people participate in every day is how to spend the limited money we have.  Although this may not seem like voting, it is.  By choosing to spend your hard-earned dollars in the neighborhood, you are helping to support the entire community.  This ranges from the direct financial support of the local business you are shopping at (who in turn uses those funds to hire staff and pay for supplies, ambiance, and building improvements) to the more indirect support of that business being able to pay rent, which goes towards property taxes and the bank interest.  The products you purchase locally also have local taxes attached which go toward everything from filling potholes to streetlights, to bridges to bus service to countless other things related to the infrastructure we use and rely on every day.  Spending local is an economic engine that drives the community forward and provides you with the benefit of local goods and services while having the indirect benefit of serving the community.  Most people grasp this intuitively and don’t need it explained, but sometimes in looking at where your dollars go you can find benefits you would not thought of otherwise.

In Como, we have the benefit of many small owner-operated businesses.  Many are struggling just like the rest of us in this tough economy.  Some even have neighborhood specials if you ask (or would consider it if you talked to them about it).  In the global economy, it is easy to get lost, but as far as your neighborhood is concerned, your place is here and your time is now.  So next time you need a staple item for your home, your car looked at or want to get out and enjoy a nice meal, try one of Como’s own.