by Robin Lasher
Do “Buy Local” initiatives really make a difference? You bet they do! Dollars spent locally with small businesses circulate in the local community as they then spend locally, making both business and personal purchases from other local businesses. Agurban’s January newsletter, states that “for every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $68 comes back to the community. Only $43 recirculates from national chain stores.” While Main Street is often the focus of these Buy Local programs, it is just as important that a community’s larger institutions buy from local suppliers. According to John Tozzi in Buying Local on a Large Scale, “Getting big institutions to switch to local suppliers has rarely been part of the equation.” For those that purchase outside of their community, at least some of those dollars could probably be redirected to local small businesses. But Buy Local programs need more than just occasional and sporadic support to be effective. In a February 2009 BusinessWeek article, Jeff Milchen claims they share three common elements that include educating consumers about the value of independent businesses in the community, jointly promoting shopping at those businesses, and giving independent owners a unified voice in government and media. Main Street program directors have long recognized the value of Buy Local. Now add in a community’s Economic Development, Chamber of Commerce, local government, educational institutions, financial institutions, organizations, churches, media, and Buy Local gets greater visibility and real traction.
