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I just heard about this new and exciting initiative called: The 3/50 project.
The incredibly simple idea behind it is to engage consumers to visit three local businesses each month to spend $50 a piece at. It's noted on the website that if half of the employed population of this country did this it would generate almost 43 billion in revenue. wow. this is a powerful grass roots movement and the more of us that spread the word, the more fuel the movement has. Check it out at www.the350project.net
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Thanks Ya'll!
By Amy McClure
5/9/2009 5:47:00 PM
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May 11th, 2009
Hello people.
I’m at a bit of a loss in what to blog about this week. I am 12 hours from getting on a plane and heading to sunny Rosemary Beach, Florida for a week. Admittedly, all I can really think about is the sand that will be between my toes this time tomorrow. Thus, I am posting now in lieu of my scheduled day on Monday as I will have no internet access this week.
Other than that, my spring/summer shows have started up, and I’ve kind of had my game face on. Which can easily lead to NOT thinking about all the other little aspects of the business that need to continue alongside a now very busy show schedule…minus the previously mentioned jaunt south. Petra just posted about the things we should think about in planning/maintaining our websites as well as the big things to be thinking about in regard to keeping our web presence thriving, which I think is always the thing I could do better. The other bloggers are also adept at keeping me on my toes of what and how to be thinking about my business as well.
So I think that I will just take a minute to say thanks to YOU ALL (that's ya'll for everyone south of the Mason-Dixon line)…for reading and writing and for doing what you do SO incredibly well. The quality of brands and momentum of the work that you do astounds me…the creativity, inspiration, friendship, and support found in being a part of Beehive Co-op is truly not to be found anywhere else, in my mind. I think good businesses are fueled by this kind of collaboration and community, but it really becomes something more. Petra also shared a few weeks ago about letting down our some of our self-protectiveness and she’s right. It’s not always about clamoring for the biggest bottom line, but about supporting an industry and a way of life that goes beyond our little studio/shop doors in a way that opens us ALL up for the success of it. I hope that makes sense without being too redundant.
Oh, and a big happy mother’s day to all of you incredible designers who do all of the above AND have the energy to care so well for your families. Incredible.
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We all feel that our world is in flux. Things are changing, priorities are realigning, assumptions are being questioned, and attitudes are shifting . To my mind this is a great thing for us as a nation and for individuals in general. For me, change brings new ideas, regeneration, and hope.
As a retailer and designer I feel a shift in how I perceive other retailers and designers. I feel as though the old model of guarded competition and stingy propriety is out dated and frankly short sighted. I am starting to look at my community as a source of strength and power. Working together, whether in micro localized physical communities or larger online communities, opens up huge possibilities for growth and exposure. As a group you tend to learn more quickly, share resources and are able to accomplish much more in a shorter amount of time.
In the online world linking is actively being used and good results depend on it. Linked in, Facebook, and Twitter just point to the craving we seem to have for connectedness. I asked myself, "why not pursue this in the world of retailing?". Without really thinking about it this is what Beehive was developed for five years ago. Linking is essential but it’s a hard transition to make – it takes courage, trust and above all confidence.
I see many people clinging to the old protectionist concept and I encourage them to explore the idea of letting that go. I believe that joining in relevant communities is the key to success in an ever expanding and complex world. Take a step beyond just linking your website with another and ask yourself, “how can this model extend into other aspects of my business”. I guarantee you'll find it liberating and productive.
To take another’s hand is taking a risk, but it’s well worth it!
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Recently, I was looking through one of my designer’s sites (www.soundearth.com) and noticed the quote they had in their sidebar, “Every dollar spent with a local company will circulate within your community 21 times. Every dollar spent with a larger "big box" store will circulate only 7 times.”
Being a proponent of shopping locally and the owner of a small business, I thought this was intriguing and refreshingly scientific. I decided to do a little more research and it turns out that it is no secret that every dollar spent at a locally-owned business generates approximately three times more regional economic activity than a dollar spent at the typical "big-box" retailer.
Very interesting. You hear a lot of talk lately of how small business is the back-bone of the U.S. economy but not a lot of discussion on how and why. And even worse, as a small business owner you feel as though you are the most insignificant and under supported group in the mighty American economy. Completely taken for granted and left to fend for yourself.
When you break it down it is a very simple and basic premise and when you magnify all the thousands of small businesses across the country you begin to realize that the simple act of deciding to shop locally as often as possible has the power to change our communities and culture as a whole, to build a healthy, sustainable economy that encourages innovation and collaboration.
Simply put small local businesses…
1. Create higher paying jobs and reinvest back into the community.
2. Serve as community pillars and maintain a community’s character. They are unique places where a neighborhood’s individuality shines and citizens can experience a sense of place.
3. Employ an array of supporting services. They hire architects, designers, cabinet shops, sign makers and contractors for construction. Local accountants, insurance brokers, computer consultants, attorneys, advertising agencies help run it.
4. Carry a higher percentage of locally-produced goods than chain stores, meaning more jobs for the community.
5. Ensure choice and diversity. Though a single local shop may carry a smaller selection than a big chain, a multiplicity of independent retailers creates great diversity. Our freedom of choice suffers when a few buyers from national chains choose what does and does not reach customers.
6. Are essential to charitable endeavors, and small business owners frequently serve on local boards and support numerous causes.
7. Encourage walking, mass transit and less of a dependence on the car.
It seems so simple and makes total sense. But the American consumer (and yes I am one who is not so perfect myself) has to realize the impact of each decision they make when it comes to their purchasing power. Multiply your single decision to shop for convenience at the big box retailers by millions and millions and the result is sterile strip malls, fast food restaurants and chain stores that encourage sameness instead of individuality. What a scary future!
Want more info…check out BALLE’s website (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) at http://www.livingeconomies.org.
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Art & Soul: An Interview with Natalie Chanin
Natalie "Alabama" Chanin is the owner/designer behind Alabama Chanin, a small design house based in Florence, Alabama that handcrafts artisanal garments, accessories, and home decor made with organic and recycled materials. Chanin is a passionate proponent of preserving traditional regional crafts and also believes in tapping local artisans to cultivate community and a strong local economy. Earlier this year, Chanin (with co-author Stacie Stukin) published Alabama Stitch Book, a homey primer on hand sewing, quilting, and embroidery. More recently, in collaboration with New York-based Goods of Conscience, Chanin launched Alabama Denim, a collection of sustainably-produced “grown-to-sewn” denim garments made in the USA. I recently interviewed Chanin about life and livelihood:
How have you changed as an artist since moving back to your hometown of Florence, Alabama?
I have settled into “myself” since coming back, which is a really good place to be.
Your designs really convey a sense of grace and, corny as it may sound, love. Does love show up in the stitching?
Well, this makes me laugh and smile (I love that word: "grace".) We have a little mantra that we say over the thread. From Alabama Stitch Book, "Loving Your Thread": Loving your thread should be the basis for all of your work. It infuses the work with kind intentions, but it’s also a very practical step that removes excess thread tension and prevents pesky knotting. Here’s how to love your thread: Cut the thread twice as long as the distance from your fingers to your elbow. Thread your needle, pulling the thread through the needle until the two ends of the thread are the same length. Hold the doubled thread between your thumb and index finger, and run your fingers along it from the needle to the end of the loose tails while saying, "This thread is going to sew the most beautiful garment ever made. The person (insert name) who wears this garment will wear it in health and happiness; it will bring joy and laughter."
Continue loving that thread, wishing it all the good that you can think of, and running the thread through your fingers again and again. What you’re actually doing is working the tension out of the high-strung thread with rubbing, pressure, and the natural oils in your fingers. In the process, you’ve also taken a moment to calm the tension in your mind, concentrate on the task at hand, and add just a little bit of love to your garment or project. Now you're ready to tie off your knot and start sewing. Love your thread well, and it will never tangle or knot up on you again.
Like Beehive, Alabama Chanin seems to really embrace the idea of local economy. Why is that important to you?
Important to me is "community" and part of belonging to a community is also being in a position that everyone in the community can support their families. What better way to support our families than through supporting the local economy? It simply means that we are "taking care of ourselves."
Why is preserving traditional craft within a community meaningful?
While survival is important – food, clothing, shelter – it is the craft that elevates our lives from mere survival to a richness of living. Think of the perfect apple pie crafted by your next door neighbor!
We've heard a lot about "Slow Food" - is "slow fashion" as practiced in hand stitching another way to practice sustainability?
Slow Fashion has to go way beyond the stitch that holds a garment together into the fiber of our existence. It speaks to farmers who cultivate the land, workers who produce quality fabrics and garments, to designers who think to the next generation and create products for the endurance.
What has the response to your (fabulous) new book about stitching by hand, Alabama Stitch Book, been?
Oh, the response has been simply overwhelming…we are very grateful and proud.
Do you enjoy other traditional domestic arts, like canning and baking?
All of the above and more!
What do you love most about your life in Alabama?
Family, countryside, and laughter.
Social justice seems important to Alabama Chanin; can you tell us a little bit about including photographs from the civil rights photographer Charles Moore in a recent collection?
I have always been totally overwhelmed by Charles’ work and feel completely honored that he would allow us to draw inspiration from the images and include them in our catalog. It is not only the power of the images themselves but the image of people putting their feet to the pavement and their lives on the line to make this a better world to live in. I am in awe and hope that we can learn from these photographs to continue today to make this country a better place for our children.
Who are your heroes in life and in art?
This great big wild world inspires me…
www.alabamachanin.com
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