Chamber invites public to make $20 pledge to support local businesses
'We are doing a $20 pledge where we encourage people to go out and spend $20 at a local small business that they have never shopped with before,' said Executive Director for the Daviess County Chamber of Commerce Joe Morris. 'It can something a simple as buying a gift card. It is graduation season and I can't think of a better way to help a graduate celebrate than a gift card from a small business. This campaign and pledge this month is happening all over the country.'
Morris says that he feels a commitment to spend $20 with a new local business will have a tremendous impact on the entire local economy.
'It's the same kind of impact that we see during the holidays when we talk about shopping small and supporting local business,' he said. 'For every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $73 remains in the local economy and $27 leaves. Where it stays it supports all of our local non-profits, our booster clubs and philanthropy. So, for every $100 you spend locally $73 recycles through the local economy.'
Morris says that simply spending with a local business make a difference to every operation.
'This has a positive impact on your merchants, your restaurants, beverage partners, our pubs and clubs, out merchants and retailers,' he said. 'It helps our downtown and the retailers there. It's the same impact in the smaller communities and on organizations like the Odon Business Alliance.'
Morris points out that finding a small business, even one you might not have done business with in the past, should be easy. After all there are nearly 3,000 small businesses in the county dealing with everything from apples to zucchini.
'When you look at those businesses, they are almost all small. Whether you are going to a local nursery to buy flowers and plants or produce, whether you are going to a retail shop to buy clothing, small business is a big deal and it is the local heartbeat of our economy,' said Morris. 'Every day a small business starts. And that means the number of them are growing in Daviess County and that is exciting.'
He points out that when money is spent at a local small business, the profit doesn't get sent off to a large, out-of-state corporation or its shareholders. Often those profits go back into the business to improve or expand its operations.
'Typically the yearbooks, the booster clubs, and the other organizations that support our youth and the youth education initiatives in our county, they always go to the businesses and those businesses are great about stepping up and helping our young people.' said Morris. 'It is always the local small business owner stepping up and supporting those initiatives.'
He points out that small business is the glue to the community. The engine for the economy and the financial conduit that makes Washington and Daviess County what it is.
'We appreciate our small business partners and our members for all they do, not just for our local economy, but the entire community. This is what our community it about,' said Morris. 'We talk about it at Christmas with Shop Small Saturday, now people can do it for the whole month with the $20 pledge.'
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