The 3/50 Project and Reasons to Shop Independent Businesses
by Sharon Munroe
We always advocate shopping at locally owned stores, which provide significant economic and environmental benefits to a community. Here we remind our readers with the many reasons why one should shop at independent, or indie businesses. Little Green Beans is proud to be a locally owned and operated consignment boutique in Austin, TX and a participant of The 3/50 Project.
- The idea is simple: Pick 3 stores. Spend $50. Save your local economy.
Cinda Baxter, a retail consultant with 14 successful years as retail store owner now is a professional speaker whose mission is to strengthen independent brick and mortar businesses. In March 2009 Baxter created the 3/50 Project out of sheer accident. After a week of seeing various segments on the state of the economy on CBS, Oprah, Meet the Press and the Today Show she decided something needed to change.
The negative press sparked Baxter to create a message that was both positive and achievable. She wrote this blog post and created a flyer that businesses could print on desktop printers to provide to costumers to show them how much their shopping habits can benefit the economy. Within 48 hours she had over 350 emails from owners asking for more information to give to costumers. Once the 3/50 Project website was launched it was just seven days over 7,000 people viewed the site.
Be careful what you blog about. It just might change the world. Or at least someone’s world. -Cinda Baxter
Pick 3. Spend $50. It’s simple math - if half of the employed population spends $50 a month at locally owned independent stores will generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue. Imagine the revenue growth if more than half shopped locally. For ever $100 you spend locally, $68 returns to your community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures.
To find a local business that participates in or supports the 3/50 Project click here.
Did you know? Shopping online gives nothing back to the community. Not one cent returns to help the local economy.
Indie businesses come in all shapes and sizes. From the food trailers on South Congress Avenue in Austin, TX to the specialty clothing store on the street corner or your favorite “hole in the wall” coffee shop. You may not realize how many businesses in your city are actually locally owned and operated and not part of a franchise or chain. These are the stores that make your city special and unique. And the smaller towns around the country are dominated by small, indie businesses.
These stores are normally started from a passion or hobby of the owners. They love their jobs and believe in what they are doing. This enthusiasm spreads to the local staff they hire and train. You can normally get great deals at these stores and great services. And if you return enough you’ll become great friends with the owner and staff which always makes for a pleasant trip to the store. This is exactly what Little Green Beans tries to achieve.
To learn more about the 3/50 Project visit their website. You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook.
Notes
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