Shift Forward!

Last Thursday night Linda from Papa Ed's Ice Cream and moi attended the kick off campaign for Shift Forward. This was started by the LocalFirst AZ. group of small businesses.
Did you know that by shifting 10% of your spending into small business throughout Arizona will generate millions of dollars back into our economy.... How can we do that you may ask: well.... when you buy from locally owned companies like all the wonderful shops in downtown Glendale (me included) or shop at small grocery stores or produce farms, or do your printing with a local printer and on and on we give back to the community the most. $43 out of every $100... and a chain store only $13. out of every $100.

A study was done in Grand Rapids, Michigan roughly the size of Tucson where they asked the consumers to shift 10% of their spending to a small business. Now this will boogle your mind.... In one year they generated $130 million back into their states economy. Created 16,000 new jobs which generated $52 million in new salaries.

All it took was everyone just changing their spending habits just a little. We are a city of 6million can you just imagine what we can do for our state with us all SHIFTING FORWARD!!!!!

I am sorry for getting on a soapbox on this post but I am wanting us not to have to see anymore stores closing or people losing jobs or homes. I do want us all to just think how easy this would be to help our economy!

Our meeting was held at the El Chorro Lodge. If you have never been there, it is beautiful with great views and outside seating and the food looked yummy.....

There were alot of enthusiastic members at the kick off meeting.......