It has been a while since my last post…mostly due to being laid off in early November, then the holidays… blah, blah, really no excuse for not up keeping my blog. My original intent for this post was to publish it prior the shopping season begun in early November…but it’s better late than never!
The movement of ‘buy local’ is nearest and dearest to my heart as a former small business owner. When I first learned about 3/50 project a couple of months ago, I was pleasantly surprised by the magnitude of the supporters in amount of time this organization has been in place - since March 2009.
The mission for 3/50 project is simple:
3 Visit 3 independently owned businesses on a monthly basis that you would miss if they disappeared.
50 If you spend $50 each month in local owned independent businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue.
68 For every $100 spend in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays local. Spend it online and nothing comes home!
Aren’t the numbers shocking to how much one can make a difference with just $50 a month? Though I know that locally owned independent businesses include wide range of businesses, but I think it’s much easier to go to a locally owned coffee shop, restaurant, or farmer’s market, as the ‘eat local’ movement has been around much longer. But what about the retail shops? With retail sales hitting record low and large chain stores able to slash prices, cut costs and other expenditures, small independent businesses are facing more challenges than ever to fight the price game. Just in the past 6 months, I can name 8 locally owned stores closing…that’s more than 1 store closure a month!
So, resist all the online advertising of ‘free shipping’ and ‘extra xx% off’ this holiday season. Go visit your favorite locally owned stores and shop like you give a damn!
No comments:
Post a Comment