Holiday Cheer! We can make a difference!

The news about jobs and the economy have been overwhelmingly bad for the last couple of months and it can give one a feeling of helplessness but I did come upon a little bit of information that I found to be quite eye opening and very optimistic. Here it is:

If every man, woman and child in the United States would just shift $20 dollars a month of their existing monthly expenditures from imported goods to Made in the USA goods we could create 5 million new jobs.

That’s 5 million new jobs that did not require any effort on the part of the government or that required any extra ordinary effort on the part of anyone other than to become conscious of what we purchase and where these purchased goods are manufactured. No one is being asked to purchase anything of lesser quality and or value.

No one has asked us to purchase more or to sacrifice quality but rather just to shift $240 dollars of our annual current purchases from imported goods to domestically produced goods. This amount does not represent an automobile or anything of that nature; $240 does not represent a major purchase by any means but it could result in some dramatic changes in our country.

What if we then took this concept one step further and made a conscious effort to purchase these goods from locally owned businesses we could also:

Top Ten reasons to Think Local Buy Local Be Local

Buy Local—Support yourself: Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms—continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community.(Click here to see summaries of a variety of economic impact studies; these include case studies showing that locally-owned businesses generate a premium in enhanced economic impact to the community and our tax base.)

Support community groups: Non-profit organizations receive an average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses.

Keep our community unique: Where we shop, where we eat and have fun—all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of this place. Our tourism businesses also benefit. “When people go on vacation they generally seek out destinations that offer them the sense of being someplace, not just anyplace.” ~ Richard Moe, President, National Historic Preservation Trust.

Reduce environmental impact: Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and generally set up shop in town or city centers as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.

Create more good jobs: Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally and in our community, provide the most jobs to residents.

Get better service: Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers.

Invest in 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 town centers require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the community.

Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy: A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.

Encourage local prosperity: 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.

Think local first + Buy local when you can = Being a local!

While we realize that it is not always possible to buy what you need locally and or and so merely ask you to Think Local and Made in the USA FIRST!

For a mere $20.00 we could be investing in ourselves, our communities, our country, and building a much brighter future for our children! A little good news this holiday season for everyone!