Riverside is a neat little city. With a population of nearly 315,000, Riverside ranks 12th in population within California and yet it holds onto its small town charm at the same time. Located in the heart of the Inland Empire, Riverside is a vibrant college town that offers a wide array of lively restaurants, eclectic music venues, local craft breweries, indie shops, quaint coffee houses and more. Riverside boasts an astounding 24 nationally registered historic sites and more than 100 city landmarks that encapsulate the city’s rich and remarkable history.
Modern in places and historic in others, Riverside really is a unique place to live and work. The residents of Riverside really care about the community and make a constant effort to support local small businesses. And this sense of community is bolstered by a City government that is united and dedicated to making small businesses thrive. This really is what makes this city so unique.
At Stance, we are here to help the city grow and to help guide new businesses through the landscape of this charming college town. That is why we support the City in its Shop Riverside! campaign. We like to position ourselves as more than just a commercial real estate firm. Our passion is with helping small business owners find the perfect property for their business. We take our jobs seriously. We do not want to just sell a property; we want to sell the concept of community. To us, Riverside is more than just a place… it is home!
Shop Riverside!
Shop Riverside, Riverside! The City of Riverside is a proud supporter of businesses large and small, which is why we all love it when you shop within city limits! The benefits of shopping within city limits not only builds a closer community but also a cleaner environment and a stronger economy. Spending your dollars here in Riverside provides a steady lifeline to keep businesses open. And when businesses thrive, they are generating taxes and funds which ultimately circulate back into our local economy. Employers and employees are not the only ones benefiting by your efforts to Shop Riverside; City parks, libraries, police and fire departments all receive a portion, as well. It’s a win-win for all!
- A Stronger Economy. Oftentimes, local businesses hire local workers. In addition to staff for the stores, they hire local architects and contractors for building and remodeling, local accountants and insurance brokers to help them run the business, and local ad agencies to promote it. All these factors together create a “multiplier effect,” meaning that each dollar spent in a local store brings more to the local economy.
- A Closer Community. Shopping within city limits can lend time for neighbors to connect; less time to travel and more time for connection.
- A Cleaner Environment. Having stores in your community means you have opportunities to leave your car parked and do your errands on foot or by bicycle. Fewer cars on the road means less traffic, less noise, and less pollution. If you made just one trip each week via alternative transportation instead of making a round trip by car, you would reduce your annual driving drastically.
Your Riverside Chamber of Commerce
One of the best ways to form business connections in your community is by joining your local chamber of commerce. When you join a Chamber of Commerce, you are afforded the opportunity to network with other business owners. You will also receive discounts on valuable services for your business. And you may even have access to free marketing opportunities or customer referrals.
The Riverside Chamber is committed to helping local companies grow their business by taking the lead in programs and efforts that help create a strong local economy and make our community a great place to do business. The Riverside Chamber provides numerous opportunities for members to increase their contact base and have fun doing it through various meetings, networking events and committees. In addition, the Riverside Chamber makes hundreds of referrals to member companies every month.
As the leading advocate for business in the greater Riverside area, the Chamber also works to create and sustain a favorable business environment in which all businesses can grow and prosper.
As one of the most influential chambers in the state, the Riverside Chamber works closely with local government and other entities to strengthen the local economy. The Chamber is pro-actively involved in every important issue facing Riverside business. One of the largest Chambers in Southern California, the Riverside Chamber is comprised of nearly 1,300 business enterprises, civic organizations, education institutions, and individuals. As a member driven organization, the Chamber is committed to building a stronger local economy through the following means:
- Actively promoting and supporting the local community
- Fostering the growth and strength of our member organizations
- Engaging in federal, state and local officials on behalf of business interests
The Chamber brings people together to solve problems, orchestrate meetings to discuss projects, and work diligently behind the scenes to forge agreements and compromises. Whatever is needed to advance the progress and welfare of the community and local economy – the Chamber is there!
There are MANY advantages to joining the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce.
How Do Small Businesses Invest in the Local Economy?
Economic impact modeling tracks the amount of money that is circulated throughout the local economy as a result of some initial spending or investment. One of the simplest metrics used in economic impact modeling is called a “multiplier,” which measures the additional economic impact created as a result of a direct impact. For example, a multiplier of 1.25 would imply that for every dollar spent in the economy an additional $0.25 of economic activity is generated locally, through indirect (business to business), and induced (household) spending.
Just by the nature of being local, small businesses are investing in their local economy. Small, independent businesses are more likely to purchase inputs (goods and services) from local suppliers and distributors, are more likely to hire a local workforce, and are more likely to do business with local financial institutions than are businesses with headquarters elsewhere. These things add up to a bigger multiplier for every dollar spent by the local business.
What Happens When You Shop Local
Here’s what happens when you “shop local”:
- More of your money will be kept in your local economy
- You embrace what makes your community unique
- You create local jobs
- You help the environment
- You nurture community
- You keep your tax dollars local
- You create more choice
- You took advantage of their expertise
- You invested in entrepreneurship
- You made your community a destination
Economic Impact of Shopping Local
- Small businesses generate $68 of local economic return for every $100 spent with them.
- Over $9.3 billion would be directly returned to our economy if every US family spent just $10 a month at a local business.
- Businesses with fewer than 500 employees account for 99.7% of all US employers.
- 108 million shoppers spent $12.9 billion on Small Business Saturday.
- Small businesses donate 250% more than large businesses to community causes.
- Small businesses employ 58.9 million people.
- Local business generates 70% more local economic activity per square foot than big box retail.
- Shipping produces 1 billion metric tons of C02 a year.
- More than a quarter of small business owners are immigrants.
- 48% of overall growth of US business ownership is attributed to immigrant business owners.
- 25% of local businesses closed because of low sales or limited cash flow.
- 65% of Americans’ shopping budgets is still spent in-store.
- 73% of searchers trust a local business more because of positive reviews.
- 65 million local businesses have a Facebook page.
- But only 4 million are taking advantage of Facebook advertising products.
- 61% shop at local businesses because of their unique product selection.
- 56% of workers at locally owned businesses have high commitment scores.
How Stance CRE Can Help You
Navigating the commercial real estate market can be an intimidating task, especially in a fast-moving market such as the Inland Empire. Any commercial real estate situation can change in the blink of an eye, leaving you to face challenges that you never anticipated. And to make a sale that meets your pricing and timeline goals, there are even more factors to keep in mind.
Stance CRE can be a great resource regardless of which type of business owner you are. We have been adding value to business owners’ decisions right here in Riverside for years. We are not just market experts, we are your neighbors! We are a local business with local interests.
At Stance Commercial Real Estate, we live and breathe Riverside culture. We are not only working in the community, we live here… we love it and we want to help you succeed in it!
Call us today at (909) 772-1212 and let us help you decide which type of role is best for you!