Forum Post: Sustainable small business economies.
Posted 13 years ago on Nov. 7, 2011, 7:10 p.m. EST by pbill40
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I believe the only way to effect change is from the bottom up. Protest, yes, but go beyond that to encourage a shift away from National and multinational corporations to local economies. Buy nothing, buy local, Make or repair what we already have, or barter. Make it as difficult as possible for the 1% to wrest our meager funds away from us!
I've always bought used and/or bartered to get what I need/want. Not to stick it to the man, but because I'm a tightwad as my GF likes to say.
I collected scrap for years and when it got high a while back, made a nice profit off nothing but some gas and my time. Can't beat that. It helped pay for my current (used) pickup, but it's nicer then anything I've ever owned before.
"Business friendly" is often small-business unfriendly. You have a very good point.
Yes. It's been my position all along that to fix the problem requires a two-pronged approach; politically from the top down and individually and locally from the bottom up. The classic 'pincer move' used in warfare. Buy second-hand. I've been to thrift shops and garage sales that were selling things still in the original packaging and clothing still with the store tags on them. The consumerist machine has brainwashed the masses into thinking that 'second-hand' is a bad word. Good post.
I am all for it... Buying local does not shut down the economy, just redirects the money. I prefer to keep my money in my community, or at least in my country! Small towns that depend on one or two industries have been devasted when the industry leaves for their own benefit... Reinventing the old style town that had to be largely independent is the best way to survive...
Ideas: start a guild of artisans and sell crafts and clothing etc. Locally.
Wrest our meagre funds?
I gotta admit I miss the Billy Clinton years sometimes.