I love the idea of supporting small businesses. There’s just something to be said about walking down main street of a small town and wandering through quaint shops and boutiques or sipping on a coffee at the local coffee shop. It’s charming and nostalgic.
But, small businesses take a beating from big timers like Target, especially when they put out their lines like, The Shops, making it harder for those little guys to compete.
So what’s a small business to do? How does the small time grocer or boutique clothing shop owner compete?
The truth is, there isn’t a clear cut answer that may solve their problems, but there seems to be a wave of social support happening in the form of  Cash Mobs. What are Cash Mobs you may ask? Well, as one website puts it:
What are Cash Mobs?
The general idea is to encourage people to go into small, local businesses and spend their money, en masse, to give the business owner a little bit of economic stimulus.
Recently, Cash Mobs were featured on the Today Show where they shared a story of one store that had been “hit” by a mob of shoppers who gave a boost their already struggling business. How was it all organized? Through social media.
Much like the “flash mobs” where you see groups of people organizing for choreographed dance routines in public places, people are now getting together via social media, committing to meetups at small businesses that are known to be struggling.
They then each spend a minimum of $20 in an effort to give an economic boost to that business owner and what often happens, according to a shop owner that was “hit,” is that many of those mob shoppers become repeat customers.
It is the power of social media being used for the good, which is fantastic. While Small Business Saturday only happens once a year in November, cash mobs have the potential to boost our small business economy year around – which is encouraging.
Where are cash mobs going in the long term? No one knows! But if you’re interested in joining in on the venture to help out your local small business community, you can get started by heading to this link where you will find your state listed and any groups that have organized upcoming efforts near you.
And if you don’t see an effort already started, you can always be the first! They even have some suggested rules posted on the cash mob website to help you out. You don’t have to start from scratch, but you can start!
Would you participate in a Cash Mob?ÂÂ
Image: 401K Calculator
