As cuts are made at federal agencies, it’s essential that Northern Virginia considers alternative ways to draw business outside the scope of the federal government, Fairfax County leaders said during an Economic Initiatives Committee meeting this week.

Some of the changes are having hyperlocal impacts, as thousands of square feet of office space have been cut in Lorton and Herndon.

Restaurants and other businesses may soon feel the impact of the federal government changes, Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said, because fewer residents will have extra money to spend.

In the D.C. region, the federal government has “been customer number one” for a long time, but it may be advantageous to consider ways to change that dependence, according to Julie Coons, president and CEO of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce.