The 3/50 Project – saving our local economy, three stores at a time

A few years ago, NBA stars Charles Barkley and Dwyane Wade drummed up business for T-Mobile by posing the question “Who’s in your 5?” Now, blogger and former retailer Cinda Baxter is hoping to have a much bigger impact by asking “Who’s in your 3?”

Baxter’s movement, the 3/50 Project, hopes to “save the economy three stores at a time” by asking consumers to pick three locally owned independent brick-and-mortar businesses and pledge to spend a total of $50 with them each month. (Just to clarify, that’s a total of $50 a month, not $150.)

According to the project’s Web site, if half of the employed population followed this formula, “it would generate $42.6 billion in revenue.” When you combine that buying power with the local economic impact, you have a win-win for businesses and the community.

According to Ms. Baxter’s Web site: “For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures.” The same $100 spent at a national chain returns only “$43” to the local community.

I credit Baxter for giving a name, and a marketing campaign, to an effort many of us have been thinking about since the recession hit last year (or longer). During the holidays, I went so far as to say it was “our civic duty, as residents and citizens of Culpeper, to heed the call of our president and ‘go shopping’ — and more precisely, do so in our own downtown.”

More recently, I’ve been telling friends and family that I won’t eat at a restaurant unless I’d miss it if it were gone. Like many of you, I’m eating out less than I was a year ago, and because I’m spending less, I’d like to make sure each of those meals “counts” for something. (All I have to do is think back to my cafeteria days to remember the sadness that comes when all your food choices are made by someone else.)

Unfortunately, when we think we’re in this alone — that we have to try and save all of our favorite businesses by ourselves — it can be stressful or even paralyzing. And therein lies the beauty of the 3/50 Project.

We’re going to tackle this economic downturn, and save our local businesses, as a community. And we’re going to do it without breaking our own budgets.

I’m not going to tell anyone who should be in their list of favorites. Nor am I asking you to boycott big box or franchise stores and restaurants. We all know there are some things you can only find in the big stores.

Unfortunately, too often we forget about the unique items and experiences we can only get by shopping with local independent stores. As the project Web site states, “the message is about balance.” And when you think through how each dollar spent locally matriculates back into our community, it’s about getting more from each of those purchases.

Local retailers (and shoppers) interested in learning more can visit the 3/50 project online at the350project.net. You’ll find a list of local business organizations (Culpeper Renaissance Inc., included) supporting the message and trying to spread the word.

I hope you’ll take a moment to learn more about this project, or just consider which businesses would be in your own “3”.

What I once considered a daunting challenge — saving the businesses I care about most — seems much more possible with the strength of a grassroots movement for support and the promise of far greater returns.

Clements’ column runs every Monday on the editorial page.