May 26, 2011

Program Pushes Support For Local BusinessesBy Heather StanekFDLReporter.com

Cinda Baxter hates the term “shop local.”

The “buy local” mentality helps retailers but excludes service-based businesses, she said. She prefers supporting all independent, local entrepreneurs.

Her passion for small business led her to found the 3/50 Project, a nationwide initiative to raise awareness of local entrepreneurs. Baxter shared her ideas with Fond du Lac business owners and representatives Tuesday morning at Windhover Center for the Arts.

Baxter, who launched the idea while writing a blog in Minneapolis, asks consumers to choose three locally owned, independent businesses they wouldn’t want to lose. By spending $50 a month between those three places, customers can help save jobs and bolster the local economy, she said.

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