Make Your Purchases Count

Let's give our economy a much-needed boost! The 10% Shift will do just that.

What is the 10% Shift? If the five million households in New England shifted 10% of their existing purchases from non-local businesses to Local Independents (locally owned and independent businesses), we would see thousands of new jobs created and billions of dollars of new economic activity in New England, all without raising taxes or spending a dime more than we planned.

The 10% Shift is a coordinated call to action led by local-first organizations, like Seacoast Local, all across New England, and it has the power to stabilize and transform our economy, today, with just a few small changes from each of us.

How can you help make this a success?

• Sign the 10% Shift pledge
• Talk to everyone about the 10% Shift and encourage people to Shift Your Shopping
• Post our Shift Your Shopping poster in your place of business or your neighborhood, and help build community pride (we'll email you a poster).
• Forward our announcements to your email lists and include the news about 10% Shift in your newsletter
• Twitter about 10% Shift, or post a link on your Facebook page
  
• Participate in the (H)EAT campaign, and we'll share your contributions with the community
• Attend a local Shift Mob! These purchasing parties are fun and powerful ways to help build and promote strong local economies and local economic independence. Look for monthly Shift Mobs in 2010.

Each transaction you make with a local independent means: 

• Significantly More Money Is Reinvested Here. Locally-owned businesses often purchase from other local businesses. Purchasing local helps grow other businesses as well as our local tax base.
• More Jobs Are Created. Small businesses are the largest job creator in the country, and for every $1 million spent at locally owned, independent businesses, twice as many jobs are created than if that money had been spent at a big-box store. 
  
• Greater Investment In Our Community. Local businesses are owned by people who live here, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community's future.
• Lots of Competition And Diversity, Leading To More Consumer Choices. A marketplace of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term.
• Entrepreneurs Thrive. The more strong and diverse our local economy, the more attractive it is to people who want to launch new businesses here, creating economic security for generations to come.

In March, Portsmouth Mayor Thomas Ferrini, Exeter Town Manager Russ Dean, Kittery Town Manager Jonathan Carter, and Lucy Neiman of the Rye Energy Committee joined Seacoast Local to launch the 10% Shift on the Seacoast.

Follow the links below to see how the 10% Shift is spreading throughout the nation:

• Follow Joe Grafton in his Shift Across America Road Trip, http://shiftacrossamerica.blogspot.com.
• Listen on N.H. Public Radio and soon on WBUR's "Here and Now"
• Watch on Public Television, New England Cable News and WMUR
• Read in The Wire and also the Portsmouth Herald

Seacoast Local's "Buy Local" campaign highlights the connection between shopping at locally owned, independent businesses and retaining our community's distinctive character. We have a large, strong, vital local, independent business network-- but we want it to be larger and stronger. Why? Each dollar you spend at a locally owned, independent business returns 25 cents more to our community than if that dollar had been spent elsewhere. When that money circulates here, it feeds a vital entrepreneurial spirit. When business owners live here, they are more invested in schools and community infrastructure. They volunteer time and money for non-profits, and they are invested in our overall community health.

"Locally owned" means the business is privately held and at least one of the principal owners lives in York, Rockingham or Strafford counties, within 25 miles of Portsmouth Harbor. This includes employee- and cooperatively owned businesses, as well as non-profits. The businesses must be registered in New Hampshire or Maine with no corporate headquarters elsewhere.

"Independent" means the owner or owners have full decision-making authority over the business, and the business pays all of its own marketing, rent and other business expenses without assistance from or payment to a corporate headquarters.

To date, more than 170 businesses and organizations have joined the campaign, displaying Seacoast Buy Local window decals, printed brochures, thank-you cards and other educational materials in their businesses, as well as incorporating the Buy Local logo in their own marketing and advertising. Community members have supported the program by purchasing Buy Local T-shirts at the Portsmouth Farmers' Market and Market Square Day, and Seacoast Buy Local has been featured in several news articles, giving us an opportunity to spread our message.

And especially, we appreciate our member advertisers--more than 40!--who helped make the new Member Directory possible: Optima Bank & Trust; Piscataqua Savings Bank; Seacoast Asset Management; RiverRun Bookstore; AutoWorks; artsteam; Victory; Phineas; Duda Spa; The Music Hall; The Wire; Marple & James Real Estate; PortsmouthNH.com; Market Square News; Seacoast Repertory Theatre; Portsmouth Candle Company; Paradiza; Infinite Imaging; Mainely New Hampshire; Portsmouth Brewery; Alie Jewelers; D. Pratt Framer; Papers, Ink!; Tugboat Alley; NPSS; Dos Amigos Burritos; G. Willikers; Studio 139 Frame Shop; Ceres Street Wine Merchants; Re-Enhabit; ellO Gallery and Shop; Jackson's Hardware and Marine; Worldly Goods; WWS Woodworks; Kennedy Gallery and Custom Framing; Prelude; Izzy's; Christine's Crossing; Portsmouth Gas Light; Eyelook Optical; Portsmouth Health Food; Rolling Green Nursery; Geno's Chowder and Sandwich Shop

Our efforts are supported by our members, community volunteers, and major program sponsors RiverRun Bookstore, Piscataqua Savings Bank, Seacoast Asset Management and Optima Bank & Trust.

We are also affiliated with the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, a national non-profit dedicated to ensuring that economic power resides locally, sustaining healthy community life and natural life as well as long-term economic viability. Board member Michael Shuman (author of "The Small-Mart Revolution") answers frequenlty asked questions about Buy Local programs here.

We look forward to applying the basic concepts underlying the benefits of local shopping to local art, education and environmental issues.

Look for the blue and gold Buy Local decal in store windows and on Web sites to identify locally owned, independent businesses. The decals are popping up all over the Seacoast at businesses dedicated to providing variety, affordability and quality goods and services. Support them and

• choose personality over conformity
• keep more of your money in our community
• sustain and create more local jobs
• support environmental responsibility and sustainable practices