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From the Editor: June/July 2009 Shopping Local to Save Local |
| Written by Amanda E Ryder | |
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It’s no secret that when people shop at locally owned businesses, they are supporting their community. They keep cash circulating in the area and help those business owners pay their taxes, payroll and operating expenses. The concept isn’t new but a growing shop local movement from the U.S. is really showing the benefits. The 3/50 Project asks people to consider which three independents in their community they would miss if these businesses disappeared. Cinda Baxter, the woman behind the idea, encourages shoppers to spend a total of $50 a month at three locally owned brick and mortars. Extrapolating from U.S. numbers, if 50 per cent of shoppers did so, they would generate over $4.7 billion in revenue for local business. For every $100 spent in independently owned stores, $68 of it returns to the community versus only $43 for national chains. When Joanne Plummer, aifd, cafa, of Mill Street Florist in Manotick, Ont., read about the project, it inspired her to take the idea to her local chamber of commerce and business improvement association (BIA). She’s hoping together they can implement the program and also customize the financial numbers so they reflect the Canadian economy. Plummer plans to send out a link via e-mail to her customers. “I’ll put a customized letter with it just to encourage people to try and shop locally. When you read it the way it’s presented on the 3/50 website, it helps people to understand what a difference they’re making to their own community,” says Plummer. “I think that when people understand the difference that it makes to their local Cub Scouts, ice time at the local hockey arena and all of the trickle-down that this 3/50 Project has, they’ll shop local.” As word spreads about the project, many business owners are getting creative. In addition to those that are teaming up to cross-promote, Baxter reports on her website that retailers in Des Moines, Iowa, pooled their resources to run a full-page colour ad in the newspaper promoting the 3/50 Project along with their logos. Signing up for the project is easy – and free. Visit www.the350project.net and you’ll have access to free flyers to hand out to customers as well as store visuals like a countertop sign and window banner. The only cost is printing the promotional products and the payoff is sure to be much greater.
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