It has been written that "anything less than consistency comes across as a profit-driven way of dividing people," which is why we refer to this point at selected intervals:The Multiplier Effect of Local Independent Business Ownership (from AMIBA)
There's nothing divisive about the multiplier effect, and the forthcoming holiday shopping season strikes me as the perfect opportunity to put theory into practice. With striking consistency, advocates of the local, independent business sector have suggested shifting a percentage of one's expenditures. Neither Rome nor Veteran's Parkway was built in a day, and as consciousness is raised, incremental shifts will continue to reaffirm the central argument.
Shift Your Shopping: Choose Local and Independent This Holiday Season
Let’s build an annual tradition that strengthens local economies, expands employment, nurtures a sense of community, and provides a more relaxed, fun, and rewarding gift-buying experience.
As customers, we are about to collectively spend a large portion of our annual shopping budget between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31. If you join us in shifting those dollars to locally owned, independent businesses, we’ll all generate 2-3 times as much economic activity in our community than if we had spent our money at a national chain. Across North America, that could mean billions of dollars of economic impact.
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ReplyDeleteShift Your Shopping was created by the American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA), the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) and the Institute for Local Self Reliance. Last year, these organizations supported the Small Business Saturday promotion that is sponsored by American Express but felt the promotion of choosing one indie store on one Saturday to spend money at was too limiting. This is a suggestion, along the lines of what New Albany First is advocating as well, that we encourage an overall shift in spending such as 5% or 10% from chains to local, indie businesses. Better local economy, more community togetherness and encouraging new indie businesses are all goals from this campaign.
ReplyDeleteThanks for promoting it!
It's not consistency that I think is the problem. It's absolutism.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutism, absolutely.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, 10% is about as far from absolutism as one can get. Incrementalism, anyone?
ReplyDeleteI'd settle for 5%, even.
ReplyDeleteThe articles that you re-post are about incremental gains. Your own reflections tend to come across much more absolute in nature. Whether you choose to see it or not, that does tend to divide people.
ReplyDeleteIt's almost like, if someone doesn't buy 100% into your "death to chains" they automatically don't understand the value of buying local. I don't think that is true.
Of course, some of this would be easier if a definition could be developed. Local? Independent? And each of those has their own subsets. I'm not handy at all but when I do try something I go to the Ace Hardware on Charlestown road. Good, bad or what? Help me out.
ACE hardware, to be specific, is considered an independent business because they are part of a national buying co-operative, much like True Value is. Independently owned and operated. For NA 1st, we're an independent business alliance so we obviously want people to support independent businesses, but we want them to do so locally as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteIs the Horseshoe considered independent?
ReplyDeleteSo the "co-op" is the defining point in my example? Versus a local owned and operated franchise of a for profit corporation?
ReplyDeleteNot trying argue. Just trying step by step(incremental)learning.
No, I'm saying that ACE Hardware is often considered a chain, but by the standards set by all the independent business groups, they aren't because of the fact that they use a national buying co-op to keep their prices down, but they can charge whatever they want for the products they sell.
ReplyDeleteThe local fast food chain owner can't decide one day to charge .25 for a hamburger, he would have to get permission from the national HQ. ACE hardware owners can charge what they want because of the co-op.
Andy,
ReplyDeleteUm, isn't that what I said/asked? "Co-op" is the difference.
Sorry, misread your statement.
ReplyDeleteThat's okay. I just wanted to make sure that we were on the same page.
ReplyDeleteGot more definitions of independent? I'd be interested.
This might be helpful for, at least, what New Albany First and AMIBA consider to be independent.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amiba.net/about_ibas
To qualify as an independent business under the IBA and our own guidelines, a business owner must be able to answer yes to all these questions -
1. Is your primary place of business located in the Floyd County area with no corporate or national headquarters outside this area? (Primary means that more than 50% of all income generated by the business in the Floyd county area. YES or NO
2. Is your business privately held or a non-profit? (Not publicly traded)? YES or NO
3. Can your business make independent decisions regarding the name and look of your business, as well as all business purchasing, practices and distribution? YES or NO
4. Do you pay all your own marketing, rent and other business expenses without assistance from, or payment to, a corporate headquarters? YES or NO
We try to be more inclusive than exclusive, but these are the general guidelines. Hope this helps
Thanks, Andy. That helps me a lot.
ReplyDeleteBack to the main topic of this post, I've found it very hard to spend in NA for Christmas. Part of it is because I don't buy a large number of gifts. What I do want to purchase often isn't available from any independent merchant in NA.
ReplyDeleteKateC said ... I'd settle for 5%, even.
ReplyDeleteDamned absolutist.