[excerpt from our weekly newsletter, 18 August 2009]
HELPING OUR LOCAL ECONOMY: The past two weeks, we have been talking about ways to help our local economy. The 3/50 project has a simple formula:
1) Pick three locally owned businesses you’d hate to see disappear, then return to them.
2) Spend $50 per month in locally owned businesses. If half the employed U.S. population did so, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue.
3) For every $100 spent in locally owned businesses, $68 returns to the local community. When spent in a big box, chain, or franchise, $43 remains. Purchases made online return nothing to the local economy (unless the online store is local).
When you think about it, it is quite simple: Many of you would think nothing of spending $100 or $200 at a Big Box Store like Macy’s or Kohl’s, or even Wal-Mart. But when someone suggests spending as little as $50 dollars a month at local businesses, it is easy to say, “I don’t have the money!” Think about it – spend less at the major stores and a little more with local businesses. That money goes a long way to restoring our local economy. Let’s do this together and help local businesses provide local jobs for local people.
Instead of complaining the corporate giants make too much money and that it is a shame local businesses have a hard time competing – and that so many go out of business, let us – each and every one of us – step up to the plate and go to bat for local businesses. They can advertise and market but the simple fact of the matter is if we don’t buy from them, they will fail. These local merchants – who need your support – are your neighbors. Let us focus more on helping our neighbor survive than on helping corporate giants get rich!
You will be pleasantly surprised most of your local shops have a very unique flavor and usually prices are comparable to the major “discount” stores. Hey – if the price is high, ask them if they will sell the item for the same price as the big box store (but, please don’t negotiate them down to nothing – our goal is to keep them in business). If you make the effort to support local businesses, you will experience shopping with a diversity of character and know in your heart that you are benefiting your neighbor.
LAST WEEK, I gave several suggestions for three businesses to pick from and support. You may have your own list – please send it to us and we will pass it on to others. We are in this together.
THIS WEEK, one local merchant we have chosen to support is Rogers Ice Cream on Sherman Avenue, in Coeur d’Alene ( a suburb or Hayden, Idaho ). Monday evening we had a hankering for ice cream and Rogers serves the best. Then Tuesday, we took friends – we actually had planned this before we took the trip on Monday! But it sounded so good and we had a great time – both times!
1 – Send us your picks for favorite stores and we will post them.
2 – Post your business on our Greater Hayden community board at Unique Motif.
3 – Working together, we can build a strong local economy.
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Ways to Help Our Neighbor
HELPING OUR LOCAL ECONOMY: The past two weeks, we have been talking about ways to help our local economy. The 3/50 project has a simple formula:
1) Pick three locally owned businesses you’d hate to see disappear, then return to them.
2) Spend $50 per month in locally owned businesses. If half the employed U.S. population did so, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue.
3) For every $100 spent in locally owned businesses, $68 returns to the local community. When spent in a big box, chain, or franchise, $43 remains. Purchases made online return nothing to the local economy (unless the online store is local).
When you think about it, it is quite simple: Many of you would think nothing of spending $100 or $200 at a Big Box Store like Macy’s or Kohl’s, or even Wal-Mart. But when someone suggests spending as little as $50 dollars a month at local businesses, it is easy to say, “I don’t have the money!” Think about it – spend less at the major stores and a little more with local businesses. That money goes a long way to restoring our local economy. Let’s do this together and help local businesses provide local jobs for local people.
Instead of complaining the corporate giants make too much money and that it is a shame local businesses have a hard time competing – and that so many go out of business, let us – each and every one of us – step up to the plate and go to bat for local businesses. They can advertise and market but the simple fact of the matter is if we don’t buy from them, they will fail. These local merchants – who need your support – are your neighbors. Let us focus more on helping our neighbor survive than on helping corporate giants get rich!
You will be pleasantly surprised most of your local shops have a very unique flavor and usually prices are comparable to the major “discount” stores. Hey – if the price is high, ask them if they will sell the item for the same price as the big box store (but, please don’t negotiate them down to nothing – our goal is to keep them in business). If you make the effort to support local businesses, you will experience shopping with a diversity of character and know in your heart that you are benefiting your neighbor.
LAST WEEK, I gave several suggestions for three businesses to pick from and support. You may have your own list – please send it to us and we will pass it on to others. We are in this together.
THIS WEEK, one local merchant we have chosen to support is Rogers Ice Cream on Sherman Avenue, in Coeur d’Alene ( a suburb or Hayden, Idaho ). Monday evening we had a hankering for ice cream and Rogers serves the best. Then Tuesday, we took friends – we actually had planned this before we took the trip on Monday! But it sounded so good and we had a great time – both times!
1 – Send us your picks for favorite stores and we will post them.
2 – Post your business on our Greater Hayden community board at Unique Motif.
3 – Working together, we can build a strong local economy.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 19th, 2009 at 6:42 am and is filed under best of times, commentary, local economy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. // Both Comments and Pings are open ?> You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.