Jackson has a new champion for independent business
Jackson Citizen-Patriot
For months, a small group of area independent businesspeople have been talking about starting a buy-local campaign.
Now they are ready to act.
Next month, the group, JXN Local First, is bringing in a speaker from the American Independent Business Alliance to educate people on the benefits of buying local -- it boosts the economy and helps maintain and enhance the community's character -- and get them excited about it.
Then, from July 1 to 8, JXN Local First will celebrate National Independents Week by conducting a series of activities and events to help recruit new members.
Bridget Rothenberger, owner of Nomad Bookhouse, one of five directors of JXN Local First, has been working on the campaign about six months and is excited to see it coming together. She said Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo have their own buy-local groups, so why not Jackson?
``Buy-local is national. It won't take much explaining,'' Rothenberger said. ``What we need to do is put the focus on the small independent businesses and say `We're here.' ''
Rothenberger said the group doesn't have a precise recruiting goal.
She said it just wants to find others who ``get'' buying local so they can pool resources and spread the word together.
``The first piece is education and pride in our small businesses,'' Rothenberger said. ``From there, it grows.''
JXN Local First is a member of the American Independent Business Alliance and has applied for membership to the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. Its four other directors are Laura Sprague, a Nomad Bookhouse employee; Margaret Riggle, manager of Art 634; Bart Hawley, owner of JTV; and Phil Wrzesinski, president of the Toy House.
Wrzesinski, who is also president of the Midtown Association, said most people understand that when they buy local, more of their money stays in the community than if they buy from a chain store, but some people don't realize they are also helping to keep part of what makes Jackson special.
``The stores that make us unique are the stores we need to support,'' Wrzesinski said. ``Without them you look like everybody else.''
Riggle, who used to work at Nomad, said she was thinking of reviving interest in the Mechanic Street Merchants Association when Rothenberger mentioned JXN Local First to her.
Riggle said she joined the group not only to do more for the community but with the hope that Art 634's 20 tenants will become more accepted members of the community.
``So many people don't consider us part of downtown as if we're 100 miles away when we're two blocks away,'' Riggle said. ``They are all very small incubator businesses. ... They are all entrepreneurs who need help.''
For more information about JXN Local First, contact Rothenberger at 990-0700 or nomadbookhouse@yahoo.com or Wrzesinski at 787-4500 or phil@toyhouseonline.com.
http://www.mlive.com/news/citpat/index.ssf?/base/news-25/121120593165510.xml&coll=3
© 2008 Jackson Citizen-Patriot
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