As I was driving through the downtown area of town last week I was amazed at how many businesses were locally owned. These are our neighbors, family and friends who have taken the initiative to offer a product or service to their community. Often times, at great start-up expense and huge sacrifice on their part. In these difficult economic times it becomes ever more important that we be willing to spend the extra dollar to support our "Local" industry. If we expect to recover from the greatest recession in decades we must be willing to share in the growth of our local jobs base by supporting our small business community. It's easy to buy whatever is on the shelf without looking at where it is made. But, if we want to increase the manufacturing segment of the US economy we must begin looking at where the products are made. Whenever possible we must select the product that is "Born in the USA". Simply ask yourself if there is a similar product or service that is generated at a local level that we could instead support with our dollars. I'll call my endeavor "Project Local", but am open to ideas and suggestions from all of you on how to make this bigger and better.
Much like my Realtor services I offer my community, small business relies on word of mouth advertising and referrals. I am considering driving around my community and jotting down all of the small business that I haven't taken the time to support. Introducing myself, and asking if they would write a 100 word or less blurb about their business or service. I would then either create a website for the promotion of our community shops or create and mail a newsletter to people that are interested in supporting this venture. I mention all of this in hopes that you too will begin a similar campaign in your local communities. That in an effort to assist the "Mom & Pop" shops flourish in these difficult times that we all start promoting our own "Project Local". Let's put our marketing caps on and think of ways we can assist them and in turn, as a Realtor it will also help me promote my business. I would love to hear from any and all of you on how I could make this project bigger and better. Ways that with a small investment we could further the "Project Local" cause.
I hope you will all assist this "Project Local" campaign not only in the Scottsdale and North Phoenix area that I live in, but in your local area as well. Take the time to go out into your community and ask what your local businesses need. Find out what we as a community could do to support them. Most important is that we then begin sharing with everyone the value of supporting our local business and in turn the employment of our community. Every time you and I purchase local we are creating additional jobs in our communities. Every time we support our local businesses we are showing that we care about our communities and about the friends and neighbors who will be employed through our support. It is going to take the concerted efforts of all of us to make "Project Local" a success. But, remember that it all begins with you and me. Together we can help our small business community thrive. I am asking that you, too, begin to be aware of the dollars you spend and who we are supporting with our spending. My hope is that by getting our communities employed we can also begin to decrease the foreclosure crisis that only gets worse month after month. Together we can get our communities back on solid financial ground.
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