More and more national chains are swallowing up the little guys; destroying our local economy and stifling our cities’ and town’s local character. Reclaim Democracy spells it out perfectly:
“It’s time to consider the real costs to a community that loses its local business base. Independent local businesses employ a wide array of supporting services. They hire architects, designers, cabinet shops, sign makers and contractors for construction. Opportunities grow for local accountants, insurance brokers, computer consultants, attorneys, advertising agencies and others to help run it. Local retailers and distributors also carry a higher percentage of locally-made goods than the chains, creating more jobs for local producers.”
Think of the businesses in your neighborhood that you patronize each week or month. Where do you buy your groceries? How about the place where you and your kids get your hair cut? Are you a member of a large chain gym? Do you frequent the larger bookstores, pool supply establishments, and big chain restaurants? Make a list and you may be surprised how often you support the big guys. Or you may astonish yourself and realize that you do support your local businesses.
Unique, community based businesses keep your neighborhood vibrant; it’s what gives each town its distinct flavor. I know when I travel to a new city, I’m heading right to where the locals frequent. But today with all of the super-chain stores and strip malls flying by in the background Flinstone style, you might as well be in anywhere USA. Local works because people talk about it and in turn it becomes comfortable and familiar. If we want our fabulous local Indian restaurant to stay, then its survival depends on us. Also, according to Stay Local , “Local stores help to sustain vibrant, compact, walkable town centers-which in turn are essential to reducing sprawl, automobile use, habitat loss, and air and water pollution.” By supporting smaller businesses, you will come by better food, local products and the satisfaction that you are keeping the small businesses alive!
The 3/50 project. Have you heard of it? Started by Cinda Baxter, retail consultant and international speaker on small businesses, the 3/50 project is a remarkable marketing campaign. The premise is easy: “Ask consumers to frequent three local brick and mortar businesses they don’t want to see disappear, and to spend a very affordable $50 per month doing it.” Sounds simple enough. It’s time to get everyone on the same page to support your brick and mortars in your community. The 3/50 project site has loads of motivating information (yes, you can tell Cinda is a great motivational speaker!) about small local businesses. It provides free marketing materials such as flyers, banners, and graphic badges for your website. The 3/50 project even offers to link your business’s name on the supporter’s page back to your website.
If you are a small business owner or visit local businesses that you don’t want to see close, share the 3/50 project with them. Locally owned businesses help build strong neighborhoods by sustaining communities.
Last week, I came up with a Challenge idea based on one of Reduce Footprints’ interesting posts. They liked it so much, they took advantage of it:
Earth Hour began three years ago capturing the world’s attention 
There is nothing more satisfying than finding new ways to use everyday products. I try to think about the items I use on a daily basis that are then tossed away. We need change our ways of thinking about what is truly waste, and what doesn’t need to be deemed as such. I’ll start with my early morning routine: after my pre-sunrise workout, I head home for my morning jolt of caffeine. Ahhhh, coffee. Nothing like the feeling of that first sip of hot coffee being fed into my bloodstream! But what to do with the remains? Now there is a product that can have many lives. Daily, I take my coffee grounds and dump them into my bushes and flower pots. ( I used to attempt to throw my grounds into the trash, but much of it would end up on the floor.) As I was looking for other coffee grounds uses, I came across, 
It is so easy to take everyday essentials for granted: I am fortunate to be able to wake up in my own bed, with a roof over my head; there is fresh food in my refrigerator and I have plenty of clean water to drink and bathe with. As of recently, we are reminded daily (hourly?!) of these necessities to live; especially following the shocking earthquake that has turned Haiti upside down. (The other day 
