Smyrna Independent Merchants Association (S.I.M.A)

History

There are so many reasons to shop local. We’ve listed just a few of them for you below:

Build Community

The casual encounters you enjoy at neighborhood-scale business and public spaces around them build relationships and community cohesiveness.

Strengthen Your Local Economy

Each dollar you spend at independent businesses returns 3 times more money to our local economy than one spent at a chain – a benefit we all can bank on.

Shape Our Character

Why did you choose to live here? What keeps you? Independent businesses help give our community its one-of-a-kind personality.

Create a Healthier Environment

Independent businesses are people-sized. They consume less land, carry more locally-made products, locate closer to residents and create less traffic and air problems.

Lower Taxes

Local businesses put less demand on our roads, sewers, and safety services and generate more tax revenue per sales dollar, helping keep your taxes lower.

Enhance Choices

A wide variety of independent business, each services their customers’ tastes and create a greater overall choice for all of us.

Create Jobs and Opportunities

Locally-owned businesses also are the customers of local printers, accountants, wholesalers, farms, attorneys, etc., expanding opportunities for local entrepreneurs.

Give Back to Your Community

Local businesses donate more than twice as much per sales dollar to local non-profits, events, and teams as chains do.