Every Saturday before Thanksgiving, the American Independent Business Alliance stages America Unchained, a national campaign urging the masses to "unchain" for the day by only spending money at locally owned independent businesses. Spending locally maximizes the impact of your money on the local economy — local indies use goods and services of other local indies, which recirculates the money in the community an estimated 3.5 times longer than if you spend it at a chain. It’s really a no-brainer, especially in this struggling economy, so make sure to do your part.
This article appears in Nov 12-18, 2008.