5 Ways to Help Your Community Go Local

[marmar]

from YES! Magazine:




5 Ways to Help Your Community Go Local
Buy Independent and Buy Local campaigns have a big effect, according to a new survey of independent businesses. Here’s how you can reap the benefits for your local economy.

by Jeff Milchen
posted Feb 03, 2011


For four consecutive years, Stacy Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) has undertaken a unique research project, surveying thousands of independent businesses across the United States about their holiday season sales figures. The results of ILSR’s latest survey (measuring sales for last Thanksgiving through Christmas) offered encouraging news for entrepreneurs battered by the recession and for organizations working to sustain vital communities.

Independent businesses in communities with an active Buy Independent / Buy Local (BIBL) campaign reported the strongest figures since the surveys began—a 5.6 percent increase over the previous holiday season. This increase was more than two and a half times the gain (2.1 percent) reported by independent businesses located in areas lacking such a campaign.



Among independent retailers, which comprised just under half of nearly 2,800 surveys tabulated, the contrast was even more dramatic. Those in communities with BIBL campaigns experienced a 5.2 percent increase in holiday sales, while retailers elsewhere reported an average gain of just 0.8 percent.

While the survey proves correlation, not causation, the consistently positive numbers each year for businesses served by these local alliances is powerful evidence that sustained and sophisticated campaigns can shift local culture. ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/5-ways-to-help-your-community-go-local

[zeemike]

1. And in some communities it is even more effect.

And I have felt that the best way to make it happen is to start co operatives of sorts....for instance local farmer Organic farms could get together make a contract with the locally run grocery store to provide all the potatoes they need for the whole year....Food like Potatoes and root veggies can be stored and used all year with little investment.
Same could be done by all of our food needs in time, and free us forever from ADM's supermarket of the world.