Overview
Our new "Small Change for Small Business” program is designed to help preserve local food cultures and local food businesses around the world. Every year, the Association will choose at least one project voted on by our community as worthy of attention for the next calendar year. Projects can be located in any city or country. An example of a project "of interest” currently to the Association is the City of Chicago’s draconian anti-food cart law. Other examples of how the Association may help is to provide small businesses with education on marketing and strategy to better enable small business owners to compete effectively with the big chains. Our definition of qualifying programs is broad, so if you have a great idea, suggest it here and explain clearly how we can help support it.
There are two parts to the campaign.
PART ONE
We need your suggestions as to which causes to support. You can make your suggestion below where it says "Share an Idea". Be sure to give us enough information so we can follow up (such as websites, contact names and phone/emails), etc. You can search other people's ideas and vote on them too. There is no restriction on where the cause is located, however, the cause must be tangible and actionable. For example, a suggestion to "help small restaurants in my area" is not helpful, but a suggestion to "help small revenue members of the Hotel & Restaurant Association of Eastern India located in Kolkata and you should contact [name] at [phone/email]" is much more actionable for us.
PART TWO
We need your help to raise funds for the campaign. By "small change", we're asking anyone who wishes to participate to donate at least US$5/€4/£3 to the cause. Donate safely via the Paypal button below. You can help even more by sharing this information with your friends and colleagues. Everyone who donates at least the equivalent of at least US$60/€40/£30 yearly will receive an "I live for local” e-badge to post on your website, blog or other online medium. The badge can be programmed to link back to your local business of interest or favorite cause. Interested parties can follow the project's progress below or via twitter @mySCSB.
Benefits
The business or destination that we choose to focus on each year will receive the following benefits:
- Close work with Association analysts to develop a solution for the local business or destination (a written solution is provided as a matter of record).
- Publicity for the winning destination or business as a newsworthy story for your media contacts.