05/27/2026
I own a hair salon. I also build AI software and sell digital products. So when I say the most valuable business you can own is a local one, people look at me funny.
Here's why I believe it anyway.
A few months ago I was getting my teeth cleaned, and the hygienist asked what I do for a living. I told her I own a salon down the road. Two people from that dentist's office are now regulars at our place. We know each other by name.
That didn't come from an ad. It didn't come from an algorithm. It came from standing in a local business, talking to a real person, and having something real to offer in return.
Since I bought the salon, my whole life has changed in ways I didn't expect. I hand out cards at the bakery, the coffee shop, the bank. The businesses in our strip refer customers to each other. We order catering from the restaurant next door. There's a network effect that happens when local businesses cluster together, and it benefits all of them.
Consumer spending makes up about 70% of GDP. Nearly half of that now comes from the top 10% of earners. Money keeps flowing out of communities and into pockets that will never set foot in them. Local businesses are one of the few things that can interrupt that flow.
I'm not anti-technology or anti-digital. I use proceeds from my online work to fund better benefits for my salon team. The digital serves the local. The scale of the internet supports the intimacy of the block.
What kind of local business have you always thought about owning? Drop it in the comments.
