By Dan Parsons

To my mind, there can sometimes be a misunderstanding of the intentions behind the local movement. Some assume that we are attempting to make some sort of political statement or that our primary concerns are financial ones. Or, that the motivation for what we do is purely in self interest. It’s not.

Of course, there’s elements of both politics and economics embedded in our activities. How can there not be, these days? We live in a political world and, what with the struggling economy, finances are never too far from our minds. And it’s true that a thriving local economy would revert power back to individual communities by making them more politically relevant; it’s true that the more money spent on a local, independent business, the more money that stays in the community. But, really, those talking points are just a means to an end.

The local movement has to do with something that beats with a much more human rhythm. We aren’t a pamphlet, or a website, or a mission statement.

Here’s what we we:

Local First - About the Handshake, not just the transaction

We want to bring the handshake, the friendly conversation back into business. We want to bring back the business environment where everyone knows your name. We want to reach a warm voice on the end of the line when we call a business, not deal with entering numbers on a keypad for an automated voice. We want our shopping experiences to be defined by human connection, empathy and sympathy, not policy and corporate structure.

Essentially, we want to ensure that the market environment is tailored to fit the needs of the good people who make up the customer base. And so, yes, while the local movement has to do with politics and economics on a grand level, what it’s really about is YOU. It’s about you the customer and you the business owner. It’s about community.