The Local Crowd joins the American Independent Business Alliance and its 100 partners to promote this year’s Shop Indie Local campaign — celebrating locally owned businesses. We hope to inspire you to shift more of your holiday spending to locally owned and independent businesses. Learn how your spending can give more hope!
Another thing that gives us hope, The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently awarded the Wyoming Small Business Development Center Network a $2.5 million grant to implement the SBA’s Community Navigator Pilot Program in Wyoming. This network includes The Local Crowd, giving us the opportunity to launch the TLC platform in four Wyoming communities/regions. We will help these communities build local coalitions, train coalition members, recruit crowdfunders, train the crowdfunders, and measure their results using the science of Social Network Analysis—a package worth more than $21,000 per community.
Soon, we will issue a Request for Proposals inviting Wyoming economic and community development groups to apply to become one of these four communities. If you would like to receive a copy of the RFP, please fill out our contact form with RFP in the topic line.
This is a great opportunity to build a localized crowdfunding platform that will continue to provide social and financial capital for Wyoming businesses long after the grant period has ended. Together, we’ll reduce barriers for small businesses to secure capital throughout our state.
Best,
Di, Kim, Amanda, Jen, Katelyn & Debbie
When you shop locally, more money returns to your local economy than spending that same dollar at a chain store.
Even with a smaller budget, you can give more this holiday season. How? By shopping local. Join the Shop Indie Local movement! We’re purchasing more of our holiday gifts and celebration needs from our friends and neighbors — locally owned business owners. Please join us!
Why Shop Indie Local?
When you spend your dollars at locally owned businesses, more money returns to our local economy than if you spend that same dollar at a chain store. That dollar recirculates through your economy, generating ripple effects that strengthen jobs, charitable contributions, and community prosperity.
Shop Indie Local and Give More (Fill in the Blank)
Think about the people you love. Instead of stuff, what do you genuinely want to give them? Perhaps it’s more hope, inspiration, or connection. Now, consider each person, place, and thing that plays a part in growing, making, and getting that gift to your loved one. When you Shop Indie Local, you give more to everyone.
For example, I want to give more hope to a dear friend. I found a one-of-a-kind handmade lamp, one that I know will make my friend’s day a bit brighter. The artist who created the light feels a bit more hope that they’ll make it through 2021, and my friend feels more hope every time she clicks the lamp’s switch on.
What do you want to give more of this year?