Action Idea #1 Continued: Share the Good News

So I was analyzing my Blogger stats the other day (I’m kind of an info geek like that) and I noticed that the post which has received the most reads in this little baby blog is “Action Idea #1: Support Local Independent Business”.  I’m assuming this means one of three things:

 1) You all really love the idea of local independent business (yay!)

2) You’re a fan of action and love it when people “do something” or at least suggest doing something

 Or

 3) You’re a fan of Alex, my tech support hero of the evening who was tagged in the Facebook post (which makes sense, because he’s pretty fabulous).

Or perhaps it’s none of the above and that post just happened to go live at the exact right moment when you were all attentively reading your Facebook feeds.

Whatever the actual reason for reading the blog is, I’m going to assume for the moment that you all are at least somewhat interested in local independent business.  And thus, the idea for this blog post, which begins with a question: just how do we support local independent business?  

The short answer: shop there, or perhaps to put it more broadly, purchase their goods and services.

Now, perhaps you already do this.  Maybe you’re an avid supporter of The 3/50 Project  or you have a more personal approach to patronizing your favorite local businesses.  Excellent.  Now, how do we get more people to join you? Well, first things first, we get people to know that these places exist.  Now, how do we do that?  I’m going to suggest two approaches: one that comes pretty naturally and the other perhaps not as much.

1. Word of Mouth: When talking with friends or particularly people who are new to the area, resist the urge to lament about the current state of the local business community.  Focus on the positive. Make a point to share the good news when you find a great salon, bookstore, bed and breakfast, boutique, restaurant, gift shop and so on.

2. Online Reviews: Think about it, if you're unfamiliar with a town, where do you go to find out about local businesses and attractions?  Chances are the internet is at least a part of the equation, whether you access it on your phone or via a computer. Do you ever review local businesses on the internet?  If not, I encourage you to visit websites like Trip Advisor, Urban Spoon, or Yahoo/Google Reviews and CONTRIBUTE! Upload pictures and share your insights about your favorite Hibbing businesses.

Now what good is this going to do?  Well, the hope is actions like this will contribute to building a critical mass of people who actively choose to spend their time and money in Hibbing.  Businesses will flourish and contribute to the tax base of the community as well as other civic projects.  This sustained success will encourage other entrepreneurs to take a chance on Hibbing.  Empty store fronts will fill.  There will be a renewed sense of hope and community pride.

A little idealistic and naïve?  Perhaps.  It is an idea that I believe can work though, if enough of us contribute.  What do you think?

Action Idea #1: Support Local Independent Businesses

I don’t pretend to have a deep understanding of economics, other than mastering some basic fundamental concepts thanks to my high school teacher Mr. Kearney (any other Hibbing High School grads that forever associate the concept of diminishing marginal utility with peanut butter sandwiches, please raise your hands).  Honestly, I struggle as much as the next person when it comes to understanding the current global financial crisis on one hand and regional/local economic development initiatives on the other.  

Growing up on the Iron Range, my understanding of economic development was as follows:

Economic development means studies and plans, which come from consultants, who come from the Twin Cities, who usually spend a limited amount of time in the area, create elaborate analysis, which is disputed by the local powers that be, and eventually abandoned.  Of course a significant amount of money has usually been spent on this process with little to show for it.  Everyone loses and cynicism mounts.  And thus, in my experience, the term “outside consultant” is sure to elicit icy glares at a minimum in my dear hometown.  

That said, I must say I was quite impressed when I learned of a project developed by Twin Cities retail consultant Cinda Baxter—The 3/50 Project.  There’s really a lot to like about this idea, which started with a blog post in March 2009.  Here’s the scoop:  “Think of three businesses you'd hate to see disappear, then pop in and say hello.... Pick 3. Spend 50. Save your local economy.”  You can find the details at the project’s website www.the350project.net.  Fifty bucks a month, split between 3 locally owned independent Hibbing businesses.  

What do you think Hibbing?  Are we up for this?  We often complain about businesses that close, those that never begin, and the empty buildings we are left with as painful reminders.  Is this something we can do to reverse the trend?  

I don’t know about you, but independent local businesses played a big part of my childhood in Hibbing.  I remember going school shopping and turning in S&H stamps at Feldman’s department store on Howard Street.  I also remember waiting in the car when my mother stopped at Geary’s (or was it Gary’s?) Grocery on the way home from figure skating practice. Picking up day old bread—and glazed donuts or apple pies if we were with my dad—was a standard Saturday routine at Sunrise Bakery.  I’d like to think that those kind of options will be around for the next generation of Hibbingites.  

As stated at the beginning of this post, I’m far from an economic expert, but I have to believe that coming together on something like this can have an impact on our local business community.  You know, collective action?  Something tells me that historically, Hibbing is kinda into that stuff.  

What do you think?  Are you on board with The 3/50 Project?  

Note: Special thanks to Alex, fellow HHS class of 1999'er who swooped in with the assist on this one.  Without his tech troubleshooting, half of this post would be illegible.  :)