So, we've had unbelievable amount of hits on the last blog in two days and I'm getting a lot of great questions in my in-box. Here is a recent email that I wrote in response that sums SOME of buying local up:
"Thanks for taking the time to reply and for your further investing in the discussion about what is meant by "Buy Local". There is a lot of buzz in Jackson right now- to be sure. It is an exciting time for small business as we are ushering in a resurgence of focusing money and effort in the communities we actually live in. I know that you and I have spoken briefly before about franchising and small business and I have several dear friends who own franchises in town so there are many considerations for all of us in this [or any] economy.
I am not the decision maker for local business in Jackson so my opinions are simply that but I have been privileged to attend and participate in many conferences, discussions with heads of successful Buy Locals from all over the nation, as well as attend many independent industry and Michigan business functions in recent years. At all of these, lead economic minds have presented on Buy Local issues with increasing fervor and all the while I've been reading (imagine that!) and researching "buying local" on my own. Shoot, we have a wall of books dedicated to the topic, all written in the past 5-10 years.
While each community is different in their approach, the leading Buy Local organizations have very clear guidelines by which they suggest membership be considered- with very good reasoning behind each guideline. Please visit a couple websites for more on this:
http://www.amiba.net
One of the basic premises of any Buy Local campaign is to give strength and education to businesses who do not have the marketing, networking, buying, or training resources that chains and franchises do. It is also for indies who find that other established organizations (The Chamber, DDAs, City Council, zoning committees, etc.) are not addressing the needs specific to the uniqueness of creating and running an independent business in what has been a very unfriendly climate for us in recent decades.
When we opened Nomad in 2005, my husband and I opened with no assistance from anyone else (except the sweat and love of friends). There was no model, no training, no logo, no previous branding or representation for what we were creating specifically for Jackson to call their own. There was no corporate structure for us to tap into at all nor was there a buying structure or vendors lined up for us to work with. Our efforts have been completely independent of any overseeing company or advisers. We have faced a very different and difficult set of challenges than franchises or chains do. However, in our struggles, we proudly lay claim to a freedom from corporate stipulations on our operations (ex: Beaners is now Bigbby) and from sending our money outside of Jackson to any other entity- something that one of my franchise-owing friend loathes.
The biggest issue I see is that we eventually get to the question: What about Wendy's? What if McDonald's or Subway or Schlotzsky's Deli or Jimmy John's or Domino's wants to be included in the Buy Local? What if Gap or The Limited or Starbucks put a storefront in downtown, aren't they then considered local? You see, it then defeats the purpose of organizing any structure for the businesses without the corporate model, branding, marketing, name recognition and so on. It is indeed a difficult line to draw but necessary at the start. The Chamber and DDA are organizations that oversee ALL business, not just the locally grown ones. Buy Local generally encourages people to commit a percentage of their spending to the little guy who struggles each month to find a way to create their business unique to the town they are in. This isn't just retail. It's services, contractors, local farmers, not for profits, education, art/culture, etc. "Buy Local" ensures that our town doesn't look like the next town over or the next town down the 94 or 127 corridor but stands out as a unique place to be and come to...None of the talk of buy local should be discouraging to you- it is an effort to further make Jackson unique, stronger, exciting and appealing to its citizens and visitors."
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