Small Business Spending Boosts the Economy
The United States finds itself in persistent uncertainty where the economy is concerned. Each state government must plan for economic recovery, and those governments must make procurement decisions focused on investing in their own communities.
State and local governments are quite aware of the benefits of local procurement and spending money within their jurisdictions, as this boosts their citizenry and strengthens the local economy.
Should a local government agency choose an IT contractor far afield, it would be sending money outside of its community. Suppliers must be ready to take advantage of these contracting opportunities. They must have the capacity to handle the work and have access to capital.
CDW positions its business to support local suppliers to handle these opportunities, and does so with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). CDW seeks collaboration and not competition with small local businesses.
State and local governments are far ahead of everyone else in seeing the benefits of local procurements because they know firsthand how investing regionally in diverse suppliers builds communities and benefits citizens.
LEARN MORE: How local governments can elevate DEI principles in procurement.
Diverse Supplier Bases Build Community
Every U.S. mayor elected to office arrives with some sort of promise to elevate small businesses. All want their communities to thrive. And they can help neighborhoods thrive with diverse supplier bases that reflect the community. With a supplier ecosystem built from their own community, officials see improved decision-making thanks to informed input on local conditions.
Local governments also gain more insights into problems on the ground and thus become smarter about potential blind spots. They can solicit input from community leaders that represent their neighbors to learn about what’s happening around them.
Biases decline if an agency establishes a DEI program and creates strategies around it to include better representation in the community. For example, Washington state offers guidance to its local governments for establishing diversity goals.
The state notes that local governments win through diversity with “improved decision-making," better community representation and “increased community trust” as the community gains a better understanding of government initiatives.
