Who We Are
We believe in advocating for small businesses and introducing them to you. These businesses are the backbone of our communities and they all offer something unique. Whether you find them in the pages of our print guides, or throughout our website in editorial articles—we invite you to get to know them, support them, and be sure to tell them ”The Scout Guide sent you!” Our mission is to help you discover people worth meeting, stories worth hearing, and businesses worth supporting. Welcome to The Scout Guide.
LIVE
Our print guides and online directories showcase excellent independently owned businesses in a variety of categories.
LOVE
Here and in our weekly newsletter, The Scouted Life, we offer regular doses of inspiring and informative lifestyle content.
LOCAL
The Scout Guide connects users to local businesses through our guides, curated by market owners and tastemakers.
CHAMPIONS OF SMALL BUSINESS
Christy Ford and Susie Matheson launched The Scout Guide with a specific mission—to save small businesses. They had stood by watching as characterless big-box stores and online behemoths began suffocating the local shops that make our cities unique. What started as one guide in Charlottesville, Virginia, has now grown to encompass guides in cities—big and small—from coast to coast. Since then they’ve met countless entrepreneurs who have followed their dreams and started their own businesses, and to this day, their stories inspire them. And while each story is unique, there are a few common threads: taking a risk, recognizing an opportunity, following a passion, persevering, and being deeply committed to their community. That’s why Christy and Susie—and everyone at The Scout Guide—is committed to continually supporting the local businesses in your community.