Why Invest?

You’re thinking about starting your own business and you’ve seen the quote to the left.  "What a joke," you must be thinking, because you recognize that small business owners are among the hardest working people.  But for most entrepreneurs the work is a labor of love, and you think you’re up for the task. 

So, why invest?  Maybe it’s because you’ve always dreamed of running your own café.  Or because you'd like to share your knowledge of bicycle repairs with trail users.  Or it's simply that you recognize the market opportunity. 

Opportunity abounds in the Trail Towns along the Great Allegheny Passage.  Hundreds of small businesses service the growing trail market, and there’s room for more businesses yet.  Here’s what we know:

• Over $40 million in direct annual spending is attributable to trail user spending (up from $7.26 million in 2002).
• An estimated 800,000 trips are taken on the Great Allegheny Passage each year.
• The trail hosts visitors from all corners of the globe.  See any guest book along the trail to be reminded of its reach.  You'll see signatures from Sidney to Shanghai and from Denver to DC
• Businesses surveyed attribute, on average, 25% of their sales to trail user spending.  The percentage is higher for lodging properties and bike shops.
• The trail market continues to expand.  Coverage from publications like the Washington Post, New York Times, and USA Today doesn’t hurt.

See our Reports & Studies page to access our latest economic impact study, trail counts, and other market information.