Large Support for Small Local Biz!

American Express is putting some large support behind small local businesses with a new training initiative that will help small businesses gain the support of their communities.  American Express is a founding partner of Small Business Saturday, which falls the day after Black Friday, the start of the holiday shopping season.  With the change in shopping alternatives in the last decades, mega malls, the Internet and  large box stores have made it harder for the small business to stay alive.  Small business start ups have increased because successes are far between.

The 3/50 project has been around since March of 2009.  The project is based on the theory that if half the people who are employed picked three local businesses they like and spend $50 per month in each of these stores it would greatly impact our economy.  For every $100 spent in an independent local business $68 returns to the local economy.  With a large chain store purchase $43 returns and with Internet purchases 0 is returned to the local economy.  To quote Cindy Baxter, President of the 3/50 Project LLC.
“I hand Superman capes to small business owners, then teach them to fly."

Empty store fronts benefit no one.  If we follow in the footsteps of the 3/50 Project and Small Business Saturday we could make a great impact on our local economy.

SHOP SMALL, SHOP LOCAL!

See the attached link for specific impact local business make on the economy.
http://reclaimdemocracy.org/independent_business/local_business_benefits.html

Martha Cederstrom

Owner and Designer

Gifts from the Heart Florist

783 Deer Park Avenue

North Babylon, NY 11703

(631) 539-8887

www.giftsfromtheheartflorist.com