The answer is yes! Here are some of the reasons:
- Buying local increases the bottom line for independent businesses. For five straight years, even through the recession, independent businesses from communities with independent business alliances (IBAs) reported better results and more growth. In 2011, the increase averaged 7.2 percent for communities with an IBA and 2.6 percent without.
- It’s not just economic growth. It’s about the kind of growth you want your community to have. It’s the fabric of the community and the quality of the experience of living there.
- In a Maine study, 14 cents of every dollar spent at a chain store returned to the local community versus 48 cents from locally-owned businesses. Multiple studies over the last 10 years have produced similar results.
- An alliance promotes local business collaboration as you work together to build a powerful, collective brand. When a few hundred businesses are all using the same logo, people remember.
- It builds a voice for independents and engages citizens as the community considers competing visions of economic development. With big box retailers, the net job increase may actually be negative. A group effort can get institutions such as government, schools and hospitals to think about buying local.
Buy Vancouver
With the power of an alliance in mind, representatives from local, independent businesses began meeting in May. Becky Milner of Vintage Books was already working with 20 independents for a summertime “Where’s Waldo” event, so that was a starting point for inviting participants. Emery Staak of ADCO Commercial Printing designed a logo (see salmon triangle) and printed brochures. Christine Ortiz and Dawn Redmond of PerkSavvy let us use their website to collect the $25 annual membership fees.
“Buy Vancouver” went public at the Peace and Justice Fair on September 8, explaining to browsers how supporting local business promotes a healthy community. Our Facebook page, facebook.com/BuyVancouverUSA, is the center of communications for promoting activities and each other’s businesses. Ken Fletcher of Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters handles the email at BuyVancouverUSA@gmail.com.
We’re still in the fledgling stage, but the alliance is now launched, thanks to the volunteer efforts of a group of busy business owners. The group meets every few weeks at Paper Tiger; last meeting, we brought laptops and learned how HootSuite can save us hours on social media marketing.
Speakers in Louisville emphasized that the most successful IBAs have paid staff to carry out the day-to-day business. We’re a long way from that, but when people see three Columbia River salmon swimming in a triangle, they’ll know this is a business that will keep their money flowing in Vancouver, and that’s a pretty good start.
Mary Sisson is the owner of Kazoodles, independent specialty toy store located at 13503 Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard. She is also the chair of Buy Vancouver. Sisson can be reached at mary@kazoodlestoys.com.
{jathumbnail off}
