By:
http://brainerddispatch.com
This Saturday after Thanksgiving a national effort is aimed at reminding holiday shoppers that small, independently owned businesses are vital to communities.
Small Business Saturday encourages shoppers to spend some of their holiday dollars with independent main street businesses, which support the community by providing jobs, keeping money in the local economy and through civic involvement.
“The whole point is to get people to rethink how they spend their money,” said Amy Gray Ellingson. Brainerd Main Street coordinator. “Every little bit we can do to keep more money here locally is good for our community.”
This is the second annual Small Business Saturday. The awareness effort began with American Express and was embraced this season by the Brainerd Main Street program and supported by chambers of commerce in Brainerd, Pequot Lakes and Crosslake.
“Small business is really the backbone of our country,” Ellingson said. “In order for us to support that, we need to support local, small business.”
The Main Street Business District spearheaded the lakes area participation, including small independently owned businesses beyond the immediate downtown area to those on Washington Street and Baxter. About 22 businesses were actively participating in getting the word out about Small Business Saturday.
A number of grassroots efforts are working to raise awareness of local economies and the role of small businesses. One Ellingson said she likes is the 3/50 Project, which describes itself as an effort to save the brick and mortar backbone the nation was built upon. The 3/50 Project asks shoppers to think of three independent businesses they’d miss if they were no longer part of the community and to spend $50 a month total in three of those stores.
The 3/50 Project reports if half the U.S. population did that, their purchases would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue. “For every $100 spent in independently owned stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures,” the 3/50 Project reported, adding if the $100 is spent on a local chain, $43 stays locally and online shopping doesn’t return the dollars to the local economy.
For holiday shoppers still struggling with the effects of the recession, decisions are often based on where they can get the best deal. It may be hard for smaller stores to compete with big box discounts or their marketing dollars.
But Ellingson said in many cases small businesses are competitive in prices, but in order to do that it means they have a smaller profit margin.
Ellingson said even if it does cost a few more cents on the dollar, she’s made the decision to shop at an independent store because of the benefits to the community. She noted store owners who are active as community leaders and who donate to youth sports and numerous other activities here.
“So it’s really important we are in there to support them,” Ellingson said. “In an economy such as ours, anything we can do to keep more jobs and more money in our economy, it’s good for all of us.
“It doesn’t cost that much more to do that, but it can be a huge benefit to them.”
Source: http://brainerddispatch.com/news/2011-11-24/small-business-saturday-seeks-support-main-street-stores#.Ts8ykHK1XIc
http://brainerddispatch.com
This Saturday after Thanksgiving a national effort is aimed at reminding holiday shoppers that small, independently owned businesses are vital to communities.
Small Business Saturday encourages shoppers to spend some of their holiday dollars with independent main street businesses, which support the community by providing jobs, keeping money in the local economy and through civic involvement.
“The whole point is to get people to rethink how they spend their money,” said Amy Gray Ellingson. Brainerd Main Street coordinator. “Every little bit we can do to keep more money here locally is good for our community.”
This is the second annual Small Business Saturday. The awareness effort began with American Express and was embraced this season by the Brainerd Main Street program and supported by chambers of commerce in Brainerd, Pequot Lakes and Crosslake.
“Small business is really the backbone of our country,” Ellingson said. “In order for us to support that, we need to support local, small business.”
The Main Street Business District spearheaded the lakes area participation, including small independently owned businesses beyond the immediate downtown area to those on Washington Street and Baxter. About 22 businesses were actively participating in getting the word out about Small Business Saturday.
A number of grassroots efforts are working to raise awareness of local economies and the role of small businesses. One Ellingson said she likes is the 3/50 Project, which describes itself as an effort to save the brick and mortar backbone the nation was built upon. The 3/50 Project asks shoppers to think of three independent businesses they’d miss if they were no longer part of the community and to spend $50 a month total in three of those stores.
The 3/50 Project reports if half the U.S. population did that, their purchases would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue. “For every $100 spent in independently owned stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures,” the 3/50 Project reported, adding if the $100 is spent on a local chain, $43 stays locally and online shopping doesn’t return the dollars to the local economy.
For holiday shoppers still struggling with the effects of the recession, decisions are often based on where they can get the best deal. It may be hard for smaller stores to compete with big box discounts or their marketing dollars.
But Ellingson said in many cases small businesses are competitive in prices, but in order to do that it means they have a smaller profit margin.
Ellingson said even if it does cost a few more cents on the dollar, she’s made the decision to shop at an independent store because of the benefits to the community. She noted store owners who are active as community leaders and who donate to youth sports and numerous other activities here.
“So it’s really important we are in there to support them,” Ellingson said. “In an economy such as ours, anything we can do to keep more jobs and more money in our economy, it’s good for all of us.
“It doesn’t cost that much more to do that, but it can be a huge benefit to them.”
Source: http://brainerddispatch.com/news/2011-11-24/small-business-saturday-seeks-support-main-street-stores#.Ts8ykHK1XIc
