Why my mission is "small"

Let me tell you a little bit about my passion, local businesses, and AllForLocal, in order to lend some background so you can understand me and my goals. Currently, AllForLocal has created a directory for the purpose of listing small businesses online, in one centralized database. This idea may not seem unique to you, but we stand apart from competitors in that we ONLY list local businesses. This defining characteristic has not been seen in sites such as local.com which strive to accomplish different goals. I go and peruse these sites but am disappointed when I type in "pizza" and the first entry that comes up is Dominos Pizza.

Dominos
Now, as far as some are concerned, Dominos is local to them, because they may live within a mile, or 100 feet of a location. But Dominos is not local; they report to headquarters that is nowhere near Troy, NY; they don't give back to the community because they are more concerned about profits, and they can succeed without helping the town they inhabit flourish. This is possible due to supply chains, bulk ordering and other advantages that allow them to produce the 5, 5, 5 deal, or 2 dollar cheesy bread. That does not make them local. It makes them apathetic towards their community (some may argue that big businesses give back to their communities, and this may be true, but it is the lowest proportion).

Local
When you shop at a local store, the feeling is just....different. The store owner cares about each customer. They try to get you what you need, and if you can't find it with them, they don't try and hoodwink you into buying something different, but instead guide you to a different location where you can find what you are looking for. Obviously this may not be the case with all local businesses, but in my experiences, mainly in Troy, business owners are so kind and considerate. They care about their community, about their peers (business alliances such as CDLF are a good example of this), and about their customers. That is the formula for success.

AllForLocal is not going to be just a directory. That is just the beginning. The "seed" if you will. We strive to make AllForLocal so much more, to businesses, to consumers, and to communities.

Businesses
For businesses, we want to help create an online presence for them, the likes of which do not currently exist online. We want to give them the tools that make big businesses succeed, at a lower cost than they may pay right now. For example, a free open source inventory system that is geared towards local businesses. By cutting their costs, consumers can benefit because prices will fall.

Consumers
To consumers, we want to be the source to find anything local, anything within a community. If someone wants to avoid going to a big store, we will be the resource to get them what they want. Consumers will also benefit because they can have the security of knowing the items they are searching for are in stock locally, potentially within walking distance.

Communities
For communities we will represent them online. This idea is very powerful, and very difficult to accomplish, because what makes a community is the interaction between members of that community. This interaction defines the community.

All 3
The overall goal of AllForLocal is to connect all 3, the businesses, their consumers, and their communities. This cannot be achieved without interest and involvement (in your community). The social fabric of the United States becomes ripped with every passing day. The communities that once existed, where interaction was a daily event, has somewhat ceased to continue. Why is this? Feel free to comment with your opinions...Is it because of the Age of the Internet, or because of cheap fossil fuels. How about the apathy of Americans? It could be any of these, or something else. But that is part of the social problem we are here to fix.

The Environment
There are also many environmental benefits to shopping locally. I don't want to seem like a "Tree Hugger" (which I am), but I want to give my perspective on this topic. Generally when someone shops at a big business, there are direct consequences to the environment that may not exist at a local store. The supply chain is a very big cause of huge global emissions (I studied Management of the Supply Chain at RPI, although I did not learn how to manage it, but how to despise it). You can get a salad at McDonald's that may have come from thousands of miles away. You can get bananas and pineapples in upstate New York. I know there aren't any banana trees in my backyard...Wal-Mart is a great example of working the supply chain. Their massive infrastructure allows them to get the cheapest products they can find to their stores through a distribution network that makes the Gold Rush in 1849 look like an afternoon jog. Local businesses make efforts to source their products locally. This fact may have exceptions, because not all products can be found nearby, but the effort that is made is the defining factor.

Another direct consequence to the environment is the fuel it takes to power a car to your local franchise store. America has turned into a car society, where if you step out of your house, you are in your car until you reach your destination, leave that destination, get back in the car and go home. I too am guilty of this, but that is because the infrastructure of society forces me to drive everywhere. If we can promote local businesses, this environmental impact need not exist (as dramatically). Shoppers can take a bike, or a walk to their destination. And if you are worried about carrying too much, then get a basket on your bike or a guy to help you!

Now I want to say that today's post is a unique one, in that I stated some of my beliefs, in order to get some discussion going on this topic. I welcome any comments, whether you agree with me or not, and I want to hear both sides of the story. Talking about this problem is the first step towards not being apathetic about your community.

I will leave you with one more thought: I feel that if we start shopping locally again, at the small businesses that make our towns unique, we can get out of the economic crisis we are currently in....Just some food for thought. Thanks for reading!