Sometimes it takes a while for an idea to spread. Or at least for me to hear about it.
I was having lunch with a friend a couple of weeks ago describing my past weekend’s activities. After sharing my usual routine of going to The Firm for my workout, doing some shopping for a new shirt at Ellsworth, grabbing groceries at the cop-op and getting a hair cut at the new Circle H barber shop, he looked at me and said, “Oh, you’ve done a 350.” (Actually it would turn out that I’d done a 450.)
I thought that perhaps it was a new Olympic move on the half pipe. But, no, I had spent my weekend supporting local merchants.
There is a movement afoot that is a now a year old called Project 3/50. Project 3/50 promotes consumers spending at least $50 at three locally owned merchants a month.
According to an article in the Star Tribune on the topic, if you spend your buck with a local merchant, 70 cents stays in town compared with only 43 cents if spent with a merchant headquartered elsewhere. Those 27 additional cents are more local taxes being paid as well as supporting local workers and vendors.
I like this idea for a number of reasons…I’m supporting the little guy or gal, helping build sustainable economic activity in my community, and people know me when I walk in the door.
What local businesses are you supporting?
