By Buy Local: It’s Everybody’s Business
In the mood to buy? Keep it local! Plenty of great products and services are right here at home.
To help promote local buying and local businesses, the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce recently launched its Buy Local campaign, with the tagline: It’s Everybody’s Business.
The initiative is chaired by Becky Smith Bowers (right), outside sales representative, Hultman.
“For every $100 you spend locally, $68 of that stays in the local community,” Becky says. “If you go to St. Louis or Nashville, or if you buy off the Internet, that doesn’t help anyone’s job locally.”
And perhaps you’ve noticed: We local folks need to keep our jobs.
“Our national economy is stressed and our local business community is feeling the strain,” says Susan Guess (left), senior vice president/marketing director, Paducah Bank.
Susan is this year’s Chamber Board chair. “Everyone wants to find a way to help, and we believe the best way to help is to support our local business community.”
Here’s how it works:
Local employers, government entities and anyone else who spends money — all of us are encouraged to increase the amount of business we do with our own local businesses. If we’re going to hire a professional firm, hire a local one. Have a new contract coming up for products and services? Look in our own backyard. Looking to advertise? Great media is based right here. Flying out? Use Barkley Regional Airport.
The campaign also encourages ALL OF US to show our support of the retail community by committing to spend our hard-earned dollars in our own community.
“We have a wonderful mix of local businesses and national chains that have moved into our region,” Becky says. “We have a large number of family-owned businesses. We have vibrant historic districts, regional attractions and first-class retail. Let’s keep our dollars here.”
For example, more than 100 stores are open at the Kentucky Oaks Mall, along with five anchor stores. “It is important for people to realize that our friends and neighbors work at these retail establishments,” says Chuck Hall, mall manager. “How a business prospers many times determines how their employees do financially as well. We want to help everyone in the region find the best products and services locally.”
Area businesses are quick to realize the importance of buying locally themselves and know that local consumers will support those businesses that make a positive difference in their community.
”Medical Spa 7 is excited to participate in our area’s Buy Local campaign,” says Loree Eckstein, spa owner. “We believe something as simple as pledging to look to area businesses first when making our purchases can really make a difference. In turn, we hope that our community will come to us for all their medical spa needs. I think a lot of people may go out of town for services, especially physician’s therapies, without realizing that our spa doctors offer those therapies right here in our area.”
For more information on the Buy Local Campaign and how to get involved, please call the Paducah Chamber, 443.1746, or visit paducahchamber.org.
