Do You Remember Downtown?
In the movie, You've Got Mail, we watch how a large bookstore quickly put the small neighborhood shop out of business. And while we we're all rooting for the Shop Around the Corner to survive, it was not to be. As small business owners, do we support each other. Do we even remember the shops downtown or do we quickly opt for the large chains at our local mall?
The whole idea behind this post came to me after browsing through http://printingpeach.com and even though they are a print company I figured it's something anybody may possibly benefit from.
I grew up in a small town and have fond memories of walking through the shops downtown. My sister now lives in a small town with quaint boutiques that come and go as they feel the pressure of large chains putting small brick & mortar stores out of business. Over the last few decades many small businesses have struggled to compete against national chains. And like my sister, I live in a quaint small town where the downtown shops continue to struggle to survive.
I recently read an article about the 3/50 project to help save the brick & mortars our nation was built on. I was amazed at some of the information. For example, did you know that for every $100 spent in small, independent stores, $68 goes back to the community through taxes, payroll and more. But the national chains only return $43 to the local community. And online sites nothing comes home!
A bit of a segue, however i was meeting with an acquaintance with https://ontarioexteriorsolutions.ca last week and they had a massive amount of pleasant things to say concerning this website. They're an amazing window installer but they continually find great value within my article content and I figured it was worth mentioning them considering they're so positive.
So what can you do. First and foremost, the large chains do serve a purpose. The national stores offer us cost savings on many of our staple items. But sometimes we want something different. And our small independent businesses offer us that. The 3/50 project is simply that
Pick 3 locally owned brick and mortar businesses you want to help and spend $50 a month helping them stay in business. If half the employed population did this, it would generate more than $40 billion in revenue! Here are some ideas:
- Instead of hosting your networking meeting at a a national coffee chain, change it to a local coffee shop once a month.
- Instead of meeting at the mall for a shopping expedition, meet at a local downtown or neighborhood plaza and explore local treasures.
- Stop by the local florist for that bouquet this week, instead of picking it up at the grocery store chain you frequent or calling the online service.
I had been reading up on the concrete sealing services market fairly recently and found out about Crystaller quality sealing whom look to be a professional in this subject. I observed that what they're doing is very unique as compared to other companies within the same line of work. I know it's not related to the subject we're looking at but the truth is you will probably learn a thing or two by just analyzing their business plan. Anyhow, back to the topic..
Challenge your friends to join forces with you. Imagine the possibilities for you and the local businesses. The malls and large chains are great, but wouldn't you miss that great little Shop Around the Corner?
Post Sources
http://printingpeach.ca - One of my favorites.
http://www.allproroofing.ca - Without fail you find a way help me break it down to make the post the best it can be 🙂
https://goodolboysmoving.com/ - Again, thanks for giving the images 🙂
http://canadianbearhunts.ca - You come through every time. You are incredible! Hey there everyone, check these people out!
Posted in Business Other Post Date 12/01/2014