Mayor’s Letter

The City of Fresno recognizes the important role that local businesses, particularly small businesses, play in our economy. We firmly believe that the best way to have a healthy and diverse economy and create jobs in Fresno is to focus on businesses that are already here and help entrepreneurs start new ones. Our choice to focus the city’s resources on the local business community is simple: local businesses serve as the backbone to the economy, providing the most private sector jobs while keeping more dollars in our local economy. In fact, if everyone in Fresno shifted just 10 percent of their spending to local businesses, more than 2,000 new jobs would be created in just one year and more than $200 million in increased economic activity would be generated. The City of Fresno has taken a number of significant steps to promote business growth and private investment. The city last year adopted an ordinance that provides local small businesses with additional contract opportunities related to city purchasing. As a result, the city has dramatically increased the products and services it purchases from our local businesses. In addition, the city is creating a series of directories that will provide the public with an easy-to-use resource for locating and supporting locally owned businesses. Our first directory—focusing on locally owned restaurant, retail and entertainment destinations—was released in October.

The city also has developed an online directory of more than 18,000 businesses located in the City of Fresno with a current business license. The directory is available at www.fresnolocalbiz.com. I encourage everyone to use the Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce’s Community Guide, as well as the city’s print and online directories, to help them be aware of our local businesses and buy from them as much as possible. Sincerely,

Ashley Swearengin,
Mayor

IMMEDIATE ROI EXCLUSIVE TO
2012 PUBLICATION ADVERTISERS

Table Mountain Casino
www.tmcasino.com

Boy Scouts of America
www.seqbsa.org


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