10 Reasons Why Maine's Homegrown Economy Matters: And 50 Proven Ways to Revive It
Practical tools for strengthening locally owned business, written by Stacy Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and published by Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility, 2006.

The Economic Impact of Locally Owned Businesses vs. Chains: A Case Study in Midcoast Maine
by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Friends of Midcoast Maine, September 2003.
Three times as much money stays in the local economy when you buy goods and services from locally owned businesses instead of large chain stores, according to this analysis, which tracked the revenue and expenditures of eight locally owned businesses and one big-box store in Midcoast Maine.

The Andersonville Study of Retail Economics
by Civic Economics, October 2004
This compelling study finds that locally owned businesses generate 70 percent more local economic impact per square foot than chain stores.

Economic Impact Analysis: A Case Study
by Civic Economics, December 2002.
This study examines the local economic impact of two locally owned businesses in Austin, Texas---Waterloo Records and Book People---and compares this with the economic return the community would receive from a Borders Books store.

Promoting Independent Businesses Slide Show
A slide show of educational materials created by groups across the country to encourage support for locally owned businesses.

For more studies, see ILSR's Hometown Advantage web site.