StatenIslandChamber

Keep the Dollars Local

It’s as if The 3/50 Project was created just for Staten Island as it celebrates the 350th anniversary of its founding. While its name is just a coincidence, the project will provide a platform by which the Island can promote itself during this special year.

Staten Island community leaders will use the principles of The 3/50 Project to promote the Island’s businesses during the month of September. The concept behind the initiative is to boost the local economy by asking consumers to pick three independently-owned Island businesses and spend a monthly total of $50 among them.

“It’s really just making the residents of Staten Island think twice about where they purchase,” said Linda Baran, president and CEO of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce. “We’re not trying to swear off the big box stores; we’re trying to have them sign on as supporters.”

The idea is very basic, Baran said. Instead of going to a supermarket to buy flowers, for example, The 3/50 Project recommends that you go to a local florist. According to a 2009 U.S. Labor Department report, if half the population spent $50 each month at locally owned independent businesses, it would generate $42.6 billion in revenue. For every $100 spent at these stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures, compared to only $43 if it is spent at a national chain store.

“Dollars can quickly add up as more people get involved, hopefully giving our neighborhood shopkeepers the edge they need to stay in business and continue serving Islanders,” Baran said. “The 3/50 Project benefits business owners and Island residents alike by helping to improve our local economy and quality of life.”

Businesses that wish to participate in the program can sign up at www.the350project.net by clicking on “Jump In.” In addition, business groups and non-profit organizations are encouraged to sign up as official supporters of the project and to start spreading the word to their own memberships.

Participating business owners and official supporters of The 3/50 Project are provided with flyers, countertop signage, window clings and more.

Cinda Baxter, a resident of Minneapolis, Minn., founded The 3/50 Project in March 2009. Since then, it has been utilized in communities throughout the country to promote local businesses.

Baran said the Chamber and other supporters of the program would like to get 350 businesses signed up as supporters, to once again stress the celebration of the Island’s 350th birthday. The celebration itself is a year-long event, she said, and it provides for a nice platter on which to present The 3/50 Project.

“The last couple of years have been very difficult, and we aren’t seeing a lot on the local front in terms of increased business, especially among small businesses,” Baran said. “For us, (the Project) is a stepping stone.”

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Categories: Chamber in the News