Buy Local and Celebrate Your Independents

Buy Local Week is a regional rally and awareness generating program stressing the importance of purchasing from locally owned and operated businesses. Sponsored by I Buy NEO, this program is designed to engage, educate and empower people to take action in their communities by continuing to buy locally whenever possible. Now more than ever, it is critical that people understand the impact of simple purchases such as buying apples, ordering pizza, or getting their hair done. Our local businesses drive jobs, economic growth and income for a stable tax-base.

Keeping our local businesses healthy will keep our economy healthy. And if everyone does their part, significant impacts can be made.

The Buy Local Challenge

If everyone in Northeast Ohio (NEO) pledges to redirect $100 of planned spending to locally owned businesses between July 4 through July 11 (Buy Local Week), we can make a significant difference - an amazing $48 million dollars will be pumped into the local economy.

$68 of each $100 spent at locally owned establishments stays in the local economy, versus only $43 if you shop at a national chain. And with growing businesses come additional jobs - in fact 60-80% of job growth comes from local businesses.

Take the Buy Local Challenge. Support your favorite local business. Visit ibuyneo.com and pledge today!

100 Ways to Spend $100 Locally

Need ideas on how you can shop locally? If you're anything like the rest of us, you probably spend at least 2-3 hours per weekend running errands. When you step out the door on Saturday morning to run your errands, think twice about the merchants you choose to visit. When you visit a locally owned business, you benefit from the knowledge and experience that local business owners bring to the table. And who doesn't like walking into a place where everybody knows your name?

We put together a list of 100 ways to spend $100 locally. So whether it's visiting a locally owned restaurant on Friday night, a local greenhouse to spruce up your yard or the local hardware store for home repairs, keep your friends down the street in mind!