Last week we discussed the small town of Thomasville, Georgia, and its thriving Main Street independent businesses. We reported that despite the downturn in our economy, these shops have been able to keep their heads above water with the cooperation of their city government and their residents. I pointed out that even though we are County-governed, if we had their (and your) cooperation, we could see a similar effect here.
I'm proud to say that I heard from a gentleman who now lives in Colorado but used to own a shop in Thomasville. He saw my blogpost and gave me a call. I was surprised but very happy he called to voice his support! He says he'll be watching us and hoping that "those who shop Rodeo Drive will start shopping in our area". Well.....we won't hold our breath for that to happen, since logistics in Southern California can be so misunderstood by those who live out of the area. But I certainly appreciated the thought and we will continue to strive toward educating the public about the benefits of shopping locally at independent businesses. Mr. Arnest, thank you for contacting us, we so appreciate your call! Now, it's time to watch a little video by our friends at JibJab (no, we're not advertising their ecards, although they are funny):
This last Wednesday, lawmakers in Maine heard testimony on a bill, LD 322, to repeal the Informed Growth Act, which Gov. Paul LePage also has listed among his priorities for reforming Maine’s regulatory environment. Enacted in 2007, the Informed Growth Act was championed by supporters as a way to protect Maine’s downtown business districts and local stores from the effects of large-scale retail developments such as Wal-Mart, Target or Home Depot. The law applies to proposed businesses with a gross floor area of 75,000 square feet or more. If this bill is repealed, it would set a precedent for other communities across the county to do the same, if they agree with what Bill sponsor Rep. Tyler Clark, R-Easton, argued that the law is inherently biased against larger retail operations.
Stacy Mitchell, a senior researcher for the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a nonprofit that promotes “environmentally sound and equitable community development,” said that before the act’s passage, many town planning boards were unable to consider how a big-box store would affect jobs and small businesses in town. Imagine the impact that having a WalMart in Pasadena would have on neighboring independent retailers!
We recommend reviewing organizations like The 3/50 Project, the Institute for Local Self Reliance (link above), Independent We Stand, and the American Independent Business Alliance for information on the importance of shopping locally. Investigate and find out how you can support your community's economic health and improve your shopping experience. Those large corporations aren't all they're cracked up to be, as many of you are aware. One of them even ticked off the venerable Seth Godin and prompted him to write his latest blogpost about broken promises - one thing that we independent businesses have more control over, since we're not so huge and impersonal.
My friends, I leave you with this last little bit of truism from The Localism Index: the minimum amount having a grocery store, bookstore, coffee shop and restaurant within half a mile of a house increases its value: $21,000! Wow!
Have a great week and we look forward to seeing you at the next Fancy Food Truck Fridays on 3/11/11 (that's this Friday)! Thanks to the Altadena Chamber of Commerce for helping us get our permit!
Lori & Scott
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