By The Concord Indies as published on September 17, 2009 in the Concord Journal
This marks the start of a regular column that the Concord Journal has been kind enough to allow the Concord Independent Business Alliance ("The Concord Indies") to write. In fact, the Concord Journal has been a stalwart supporter of the independent business environment in our dear town, and this is another example of their interest. They understood early on what we Indies have been trying to do: to preserve and enhance the many wonderful, varied, locally-owned, vital and storied businesses that operate in such great numbers in Concord, contributing substantially to the town's unique character. We thank them heartily.
A Bold Claim is Made
What a time to be in business, and to be forming our Indie alliance. Who knew when we decided to launch ourselves in June 2008 that we would all soon be thrown on the rails of the world's economy. But it's not all bad news: while there have been some casualties among our ranks, Concord still has just about every type of business a person (family, household, or business) might need.
Does that seem too bold to claim? While no one knows exact number of retail, wholesale, agricultural, non-profit, manufacturing, service, entertainment and other establishments that call Concord home, our educated guess is at least 2,000. That's one business for every eight residents. Not a bad ratio for what many think of as little more than a sleepy bedroom of Boston.
Think about it. Retailers and service businesses are busy on the Milldam, Thoreau Street and Sudbury Road, West Concord Village and Nine Acre Corner. Light manufacturing operates on Bradford and Beherrall Streets. Health care practitioners practice everywhere, including the area of Emerson Hospital (itself an Indie). Major corporations and small- to medium-sized enterprises are based on Baker Ave, Virginia Road, Domino Drive and Junction Park to name just a few. Hundreds of writers, artists, and consultants of every stripe work at Emerson Umbrella, in offices in our busy village centers, and in home-based businesses throughout town. Restaurants, hotels and inns; farms of various types and sizes; educational institutions, financial services, building trades: you can find nearly everything you need in Concord. And so many are Indies!
Because Concord has such business diversity there's really not much reason to travel anywhere else to meet our needs. Therefore, we invite you to take the Indie challenge: name a type of business that we do not have within the borders of Concord (let's leave aside ones like abalone diving, crocodile wrangling, deep sea fishing and others not applicable here), and we'll consider your entries for a future column.
We also want to hear from readers about experiences you've had with Concord's Indie businesses that were extraordinary... the kind you don't have when dealing with huge, faceless chains from out of town. Please send us your stories, or let us know you have one to tell and we'll interview you.
For more information about or to contact The Concord Indies, go to www.ConcordIndies.org or email them at info@ConcordIndies.org.
This marks the start of a regular column that the Concord Journal has been kind enough to allow the Concord Independent Business Alliance ("The Concord Indies") to write. In fact, the Concord Journal has been a stalwart supporter of the independent business environment in our dear town, and this is another example of their interest. They understood early on what we Indies have been trying to do: to preserve and enhance the many wonderful, varied, locally-owned, vital and storied businesses that operate in such great numbers in Concord, contributing substantially to the town's unique character. We thank them heartily.A Bold Claim is Made
What a time to be in business, and to be forming our Indie alliance. Who knew when we decided to launch ourselves in June 2008 that we would all soon be thrown on the rails of the world's economy. But it's not all bad news: while there have been some casualties among our ranks, Concord still has just about every type of business a person (family, household, or business) might need.
Does that seem too bold to claim? While no one knows exact number of retail, wholesale, agricultural, non-profit, manufacturing, service, entertainment and other establishments that call Concord home, our educated guess is at least 2,000. That's one business for every eight residents. Not a bad ratio for what many think of as little more than a sleepy bedroom of Boston.
Think about it. Retailers and service businesses are busy on the Milldam, Thoreau Street and Sudbury Road, West Concord Village and Nine Acre Corner. Light manufacturing operates on Bradford and Beherrall Streets. Health care practitioners practice everywhere, including the area of Emerson Hospital (itself an Indie). Major corporations and small- to medium-sized enterprises are based on Baker Ave, Virginia Road, Domino Drive and Junction Park to name just a few. Hundreds of writers, artists, and consultants of every stripe work at Emerson Umbrella, in offices in our busy village centers, and in home-based businesses throughout town. Restaurants, hotels and inns; farms of various types and sizes; educational institutions, financial services, building trades: you can find nearly everything you need in Concord. And so many are Indies!
Because Concord has such business diversity there's really not much reason to travel anywhere else to meet our needs. Therefore, we invite you to take the Indie challenge: name a type of business that we do not have within the borders of Concord (let's leave aside ones like abalone diving, crocodile wrangling, deep sea fishing and others not applicable here), and we'll consider your entries for a future column.
We also want to hear from readers about experiences you've had with Concord's Indie businesses that were extraordinary... the kind you don't have when dealing with huge, faceless chains from out of town. Please send us your stories, or let us know you have one to tell and we'll interview you.
For more information about or to contact The Concord Indies, go to www.ConcordIndies.org or email them at info@ConcordIndies.org.
