Shift Your Shopping - Choose Local and Independent

Buy Local First

Top 10 Reasons To Shop Local First

Significantly More Money Re-circulates In Eastern Massachusetts. When you purchase at locally owned businesses rather than nationally owned, more money is kept in the community because locally-owned businesses often purchase from other local businesses, service providers and farms. Buying local helps grow other businesses as well as our regions tax base.
Non Profits Receive Greater Support. Non Profits often receive greater support from local business owners, sometimes as much as 350% more money, than they do from non-locally owned businesses.
Unique Businesses Are An Integral Part Of Our Distinctive Character. The unique character of Somerville is what brought us here and will keep us here.
Environmental Impact Is Reduced. Local businesses make more local purchases requiring less transportation and usually set up shop in town centers rather than on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss, resource depletion and pollution.
Most New Jobs Are Provided By Local Businesses. Small local businesses are the largest employers nationally.
Customer Service Is Often Better. Local businesses often hire people with more specific product expertise and they invest in their employees for better customer service.
Local Business Owners Invest In Our Community. Local businesses are owned by people who: Live in this community; are less likely to leave; and are more invested in the community’s future.
Put Your Taxes To Good Use. Local businesses in city and town centers require comparatively little infrastructure investments, add more to our tax base and make more efficient use of public services.
Competition And Diversity Leads To More Consumer Choices. A marketplace of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term.
A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.

Why Local First?

First and formost, so that our local, living economy stays healthy and strong. Additionally we want Somerville to continue to be its unique, wonderful self; so that our place, doesn’t look like every place. This question is best answered by Michael H. Shuman, author of the book Going Local.

”Going local does not mean walling off the outside world. It means nurturing locally owned businesses which use local resources sustainably, employ local workers at decent wages and serve primarily local consumers. It means becoming more self-sufficient and less dependent on imports. Control moves from the boardrooms of distant corporations and back into the community where it belongs.”

Significantly more money re-circulates in Somerville when purchases are made at locally owned, rather than nationally owned, businesses. Money is kept in the community because locally-owned businesses often purchase from other local businesses, service providers and farms. Purchasing local helps grow other businesses as well as our regions tax base.

Local First Community Education Campaigns in communities across North America, plus the Local First Campaigns BALLE has been launching across North America have been helping people to see the need To Think Local First. These marketing campaigns are a critical piece of a sustainable community economic development strategy, helping to promote economic stability, job growth, and entrepreneurial vigor through nurturing and promoting a wide diversity of locally owned businesses.

To check out Local First Campaigns already in action and to see how other communities are succeeding in promoting Think Local First campaigns please go to: www.livingeconomies.org.

Source: Pioneer Valley Local First

Shopping locally, joyfully and mindfully

(Michael Kanter is really one of my favorite people, though an outside observer watching one of our conversations, riddled with lovingly acerbic New England wit and mocking, might find that hard to believe. Michael is a leader, a business owner and one of the key people in New England when it comes to authenticity of the movement. I’m glad to have him as a partner in this work, and was inspired by reading his thoughtful message here. I hope you will be as well. ~ Joe, SLF)

by Michael Kanter

We all have heard that this time of year is often critical for the success of many businesses. But why should anyone care? Those businesses made their own decisions to open their doors, why should I worry myself about their success? And what can my purchases do to help those businesses? Besides, I need to watch my own finances carefully especially in this economy. And, what difference is it if they stay in business or not? All of these are actually and seriously important questions.

First I want to make the distinction of what businesses I believe deserve your greatest support. Full disclosure, I am the co-owner, with my wife Elizabeth Stagl, of Cambridge Naturals which we started and have owned for 37 years. That noted, I assume that if you are reading this you are likely at least aware of and perhaps a supporter of the “local movement” and in particular that you are aware of the benefits to your community of spending your dollars at locally owned and independent businesses. So, of course, I am suggesting that this season, like all seasons, you mindfully and intentionally make your gift purchase at such businesses.

Michael has also been instrumental in helping Cambridge Local First and Somerville Local First develop a strong working relationship

As the news of a very challenging economy continues to circulate many of us have gotten very nervous about our savings, our jobs, our homes and our communities. And many of us worry about our friends and loved ones for the same reasons. The daily papers (what’s left of them, anyway), the radio and tv news, internet updates, etc., etc. rarely feature anything positive that is happening in the world or even our communities. Quite the contrary; open up or turn on any of those sources and it seems to be all bad news all the time.

I am not here to argue that there is not enough ugly and destructive “stuff” happening. I am suggesting, however, that the local movement in all its ramifications is one of the very brightest and most optimistic movements to “come down the pike”. Furthermore, I suggest that joyfully supporting (read: shopping at) your locally owned and independent businesses is one of the ways you can directly participate in this positive movement for social change.

Here’s why.

Most of us who have opened such businesses have done so with the intention of offering the community products and services that are unique and we are thrilled to be part of the fabric of our towns and regions. A mere fraction of us have set out to “get rich” (and of those few that did, very few succeed).

Further, few entrepreneurs have thoughts or plans of attempting to build our businesses in ways that would take us out of our communities such as franchising or other growth concepts that would make us less active and direct participants in our place.

In fact, in my long retail experience in this area, I am really impressed with the activism and involvement of locally owned and independent business owners and managers in supporting non-profits and in truly being honorable members of the communities where we work and often live.

As well, the existence of unique locally owned and independent businesses is part of what makes our towns attractive to residents and visitors alike. And, yes let’s remember those studies that show that so many more dollars that are spent at independent community businesses have the power of staying in the area and strengthening our communities.

Most if not all of us have people we want to buy gifts for at this time of year and most if not all of us have limits to our budgets. Just like our local and state and national governments need to be mindful of spending we all wish to be mindful of not going beyond our “comfort levels” or beyond our budgets.

My suggestion is this: It is to all our benefit if we consciously and very intentionally purchase such gifts from businesses that are in our communities because they have chosen to be there for the good of the community…as well as to make a honest living.

Let’s also be very clear about what is at stake. Your community businesses simply can not survive without your support. Though many are thriving, many are facing the same challenges that individuals and local governments are. Some are truly hurting. Your active support is vital for their financial survival and as importantly for the morale of the owners and staff alike.

Shifting your Shopping for the Holidays gives multiple gifts

Your thoughtful holiday purchases have much more power than you may realize. Buy joyfully! By making those purchases, you are giving a real gift to those businesses while helping to build a strong local economy.

Some may call this “win, win”…I call it community, community.

Originally posted on...December 10th, 2010
2 comments

Letter from The Weekly Dig: The Aftermath Black Friday vs. Plaid Friday

The following letter comes from David Day, Arts and Entertainment Editor for The Weekly Dig:

The Weekly Dig Local Holiday Shopping Guide

Dear Reader,

By most accounts, Black Friday was a stunning success. According to the National Retail Federation, 212 million people shopped, up from 195 million last year. The Buy Local movement of “Plaid Friday” was equally successful, with #plaidfriday becoming a top trend on Twitter. And, at a Target in Buffalo, N.Y. a few people were almost trampled to death.

But what does the rush to buy cheap sh*t say about the economy at large?

It could well be that the frenzy caused by incredible discounts are in fact a result of people having less money. We are incredibly broke, so the need to maximize our shopping dollar is more important than ever.

Of course, your friendly Dig staff is encouraging you to maximize your shopping dollar in a different way: by spending it with your neighbor. We have been pounding the “buy local” bush since our inception, in a way, but this year, and every year for the time being, buying local is really, honestly, super important. Are you following through?

If you need help, turn to our annual shopping guide, where the hard-working tandem of Courtney Cox and Taylor Seidler bounced around town getting the scoop from some of our favorite local shops. We have 25 days until the … special … day … or week (or month), so time is of the essence. There’s also a showcase of three stores for those ski bunsters among you.

Here’s a thought: Use our guide to buy something. There’s a lot to choose from, all of it local and relatively inexpensive. Your aunt doesn’t need a new flat-screen to watch Dr. Phil—she needs an airplant.

Tell them the Dig sent you.

Originally posted on...December 8th, 2010
0 comments

Photos from The Boston Local Food Festival

by Joe Grafton

It’s pretty safe to say that The Boston Local Food Festival presented by The Sustainable Business Network of Great Boston exceeded everyones expectations. While estimates have yet to be announced, I was there and think the number is at least 10,000 people, and likely many many more.

Here’s a selection of images from the day

A view from behind the stage....the festival was supposed to close down one of the bridges, but the night before the permit was not approved by the city. Instead, a dense network of vendor tents on the lawn made things a little tight but packed with local love.

Festival Sponsor, Katsiroubas Brothers Fruit & Produce

Unsurprisingly, the area in front of the Taza Chocolate booth was packed

Cooking Demos, like this one by friend & SLF Blogger JJ Gonson, were a hit....

...as were butchering demos. Bringing meat eaters closer to their food.

The festival was packed all day long. This was taken the @ 3:00 PM.

Some great roots music took the stage to close things out

The festival organizing team: Emily Kanter (Festival Organizer), Laury Hammel (SBN Executive Director), Erwin (Festival Organizer), Fan Watkinson (Festival Organizer), Nicola Williams (Lead Festival Organizer)

Finally, here’s an interview with festival organizers (with a late appearance form me) from a documentarian traveling across the country on a cross country, called the Sustainable 1000, doing 1,000 interviews in 250 days.