The 3/50 Project - Northern Berkshire

[Northern Berkshire Transition]

 

 

SIMPLY THINK 3/50

 

PICK 3 Businesses/ SPEND $50
Think of three businesses you'd miss if they were gone. Stop in, say hello, pick up a little something that makes you smile. That's what keeps them around, after all.

SPEND $50 a month among these businesses

No more than you would spend in your normal weekly/monthly shopping.

Just consider what Locally Owned Independent Business you can find the goods you're looking for and make those purchases there.

 Avoid the big box and nationally franchised stores

 as they ship your dollars out of the community.

 

REMEMBER - $$$ SPENT AT LOCALLY OWNED STORES STAY LOCAL 

For every $100 dollars spent at a Locally Owned Independent Business means $25 additional dollars circulating in the local economy. Dollars that pay for local jobs, pay local taxes and support your local schools, athletic programs and fundraising activities. ADD IT UP, it's a lot of money over the course of a year. 

 

Thanks to our local sponsors: Becks Printing, Living Well Chiropractic, Williamstown Chamber of Commerce and Custom Business Solutions.
  

SPREAD THE WORD BY PRINTING THE POSTER BELOW AND

POSTING IT ON A LOCAL BULLETIN BOARD AT WORK, A LOCAL COFFEE SHOP OR AT SCHOOL.

Simply right click on the image below and select print.

 

 

For details on how you as an individual can help, or how your Locally Owned Independent Business can participate.

Contact Jay Walsh at Northern Berkshire Transition. Send an email to  [e-mail] with "The 350 Project" in the subject line, or call 413-329-1755 .

Consider The 3/50 Project for strengthening our Northern Berkshire economy. This campaign may be a means to ensure the growth, stability, and survival of our locally owned and operated businesses and local economy.

 

 

For more information on this campaign nationally, please visit The350Project.net.

[Northern Berkshire Transition]

Five Ways to Help Your Community Go Local

1. As a consumer, look at the big stuff first.
   Our choices for bank accounts, groceries, and energy consumption, for example, can play a big role in helping promote local self-sufficiency. Some groups ask residents to shift 10 percent of their spending from outside entities or chains to local businesses.
2. As a citizen, exercise your right to participate in spending decisions.
   Learn where your tax money is spent. Can your city or town source more office supplies from local dealers? More school lunches from local ranchers and farmers? Are local governments using local insurers, banks, and suppliers? Learn about the current situation from purchasing officials (including their opinions) and available tools, such as local purchasing preferences and farm to school programs to inform suggestions.
3. Utilize the power of anchor institutions.
   Just as with government entities, shifting the spending of hospitals, prisons, museums and other community-rooted institutions can create huge positive impacts and new opportunities. These institutions often have public service as part of their mission, and often are open to citizen input. Community-Wealth.org provides a vast array of tools to help you get started.
   
   Also if you support local civic groups, youth sports teams, etc., learn where they’re going for their needs. It’s stunning how often local non-profit groups will solicit independent businesses for donations, yet buy their food, supplies, printing, etc. from chain competitors.
4. Help provoke a pro-local business alliance.
   The key word is provoke! Most of us don’t have time to create new organizations, but as the success of local businesses and community alliances grows, arranging an effective public meeting often will ignite ongoing organizing.
5. Differentiate our roles as citizens vs. consumers.
   While shifting consumer decisions is a core goal of any educational efforts, the most influential community campaigns inspire residents to recognize their power and responsibility to guide the community’s future.

SOURCE: YES Magazine

http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/5-ways-to-help-your-communit...

[Jay Walsh]

Fighting, literally, against chain retail

Monday, May 02, 2011

In the UK, active opposition exists to expansion plans by national supermarket chains, specifically Tesco, in traditional commercial districts and town centers where chain stores end up succeeding at the expense of smaller, locally owned stores.

Businessweek reports on last week's riot ("One Thing Tesco Shares With Wal-Mart: Critics; The British retailer...") and the Guardian reports on this week's protest ("30 arrested as outsiders blamed for Bristol violence:Roof tiles and...") in Bristol, against the opening of a Tesco Express convenience store (not unlike the Fresh & Easy stores that the company is opening in the Western U.S.).

From the Businessweek article: