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Local holiday shopping helps create the multiplier effect

Hendrickson

Our theme through the holiday shopping season at the Greater Ishpeming-Negaunee Chamber of Commerce is to buy local as much as possible and support our local businesses. It’s not just because we want our local businesses to prosper and grow, but in addition when money is spent locally it has the potential to stay locally much longer than if the money were spent out of area.

It’s known as the multiplier effect. It’s a rather simple concept: If Joe gets $1,000 spent at his local business and then is able to spend $800 at Jane’s local business, she in turn can spend $600 at the next local business, thus creating $2,400 in local spending.

We know that not everyone will spend all their money on local businesses and in some cases need to find outside sources to purchase the product or service they are looking for, but when we make a conscious effort to spend some of our money in our local economies, it benefits the entire community.

The GINCC Holiday Punch Card campaign is one way we track and reward local spending on the West End. It’s our annual holiday buy local campaign that works like this: For every $50 spent at GINCC member businesses, participants earn a chance to be entered into a drawing for prizes donated by those businesses.

You can find GINCC member business by going to our directory at www.gincc.org, or stop by the chamber office for a printed list. Receipts must be brought into our office located in the Jubilee Foods parking lot off U.S. 41 to be recorded. We do not keep the receipts.

There is no limit on the amount of receipts that can be brought in; however, only $500 maximum per purchase will be counted. Payments of rent, mortgages, utilities, insurance and other monthly payments are not eligible.

The campaign runs until 4 p.m. Dec. 21, and the drawing will be held just before we close at 5 p.m. Winners will be announced on Facebook and our website at www.gincc.org.

On the event side of the GINCC, we are co-hosting a Business After Hours with the Lake Superior Community Partnership for the Western Marquette County Health Foundation from 5-7 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Wawonowin Country Club.

At the event, grant awardees will be will be presented their money. In addition, the health foundation will be unveiling its new logo and name. The event is free and open to the public. The evening will feature appetizers, complimentary soft drinks and a cash bar. There will be a chance to win some nice door prizes. For more information, go to our webpage, gincc.org.

Editor’s note: Bob Hendrickson is the executive director of the GINCC. He currently resides in Negaunee with his wife, Laura, and daughter, Sierra. He enjoys mountain biking, skiing, fishing and hunting along with family time.

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