New Project to Highlight Local Businesses
By JOHN C. OSBORN, The Eureka Reporter
Linette Worthington watched Kinko’s come and go.
She took over ownership The Central Office — a business providing copy services — based in Eureka, along with her sister, back in 2000 after working there for 15 years.
There used to be a Kinko’s — now owned by FedEx — near the store, but in an unusual twist to when a small business competes with a large corporation, the Kinko’s moved away.
“We’re still here in the same spot,” Worthington said, “they moved.”
Keeping the doors of independent businesses like The Central Office open is just one of the goals of the newly formed Humboldt County Independent Business Alliance.
To help that, the Eureka and Arcata city councils, along with the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, proclaimed the week of July 1 “Independents Week” in order to call on residents to support local, independent businesses.
This year, over 40 communities with chapters of the American Independent Business Alliance join Humboldt County in celebrating this week.
“We know a lot of people make efforts to shop locally,” said HumIBA Co-Coordinator Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, “many don’t know what their options are.”
The alliance plans to publish a directory, filled with local, independent businesses and educational material.
“We want it to be comprehensive,” she said.
To meet the definition of “independent” created by the alliance, a business has to be privately held, pay all of their expenses and have at least half of the owners living in the county, among other points.
Currently, there are 150 people signed up for the directory and around 14 members.
One member, Arcata-based Simply Macintosh owner Marcia Tauber, said patrons to her store enjoy the personal contact with employees who can help immediately with computer problems.
She said she does think that more education is needed about the benefits of supporting independent businesses. She sees it when people come into her store, ask for advice on products and then order a computer from Apple online when they could have gotten it at the store for a similar price.
“If they thought about the ramifications of their choice, they may have chosen differently,” Tauber said. “Encourage people to look at where those monies are going.”
University of San Francisco Professor Eugene Muscat, who teaches family business, said that the government supporting independent businesses is a smart move, especially considering the current economic environment.
“In this economy, being quick on your feet is very important,” he said. “You have to be creative to win over the customers you can.”
For example, the owner of a independent coffee shop right next to a Starbucks could offer a free bagel with every coffee, or offer similar incentives to customers, while a manager at Starbucks has to stay conformed to the company’s policies.
Money paid to local, independent businesses tends to stay in the community, Muscat said, and it also always has a positive impact on employment.
Profit generated from supporting large corporate businesses tend to go back to its headquarters and not in the community where the store resides, he said.
Worthington, a member of the HumIBA, said she tries the best she can to buy all of her supplies from local businesses before she goes to places like Staples.
“Sometimes I have to go out of the area,” she said.
Only born two months ago, the alliance is still getting its legs steady, while calling for businesses and residents to support their project, Sopoci-Belknap said.
“We encourage business owners to get involved by joining up, and let us know what they want in a project like this,” she said. “We should all work together in defining the future of our community.”
For additional information:
American Independent Business Alliance
www.amiba.net/
Humboldt County Independent Business Alliance
www.humiba.org/index.html
http://www.eurekareporter.com/article/080703-new-project-to-highlight-local-independent-businesses
© 2008 Eureka Reporter
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