The Carrboro Local Living Economy Task Force is a Town of Carrboro advisory board dedicated to advising and counseling town elected officials and listening to citizen appeals that relate to establishing a local living economy.

This wiki page serves as a public non-official site where research and ideas for implementing Carrboro's local living economy can be developed.

Because we all know growth and sustainability are not oxymorons, right? So the more business, and the more people, the better. And we must remember to always ask permission fro the government because they are our masters and we are nothing but serfs.

Contents 1 Entrepreneurs 1.1 Entrepreneur Action Items 1.2 Carrboro Locally Owned Independent Businesses 2 Consumers 2.1 Consumer Action Items 2.1.1 Educational Campaign on reasons to buy local 2.1.2 Educational campaign on local businesses 2.1.2.1 Materials 2.1.2.2 Campaign examples 2.1.2.2.1 Heal Local 3 Policymakers 3.1 Inventory of Existing Policies 4 Community Builders 5 Investors

EntrepreneursEdit

Entrepreneur Action ItemsEdit

• Touch the puppet head.
• Ruin the world.
• Exploit people locally rather then globally.

• Create a coalition of local business owners
• Engage in outreach to let local businesses know what resources are available
• Business to business contact with other businesses
• Create an internet forum for business owners
• Create a list of standard business practices / guidelines/ tools gathered from local businesses
• Ensure low barrier for those wanting to start small businesses, i.e. street vendors, flea markets, home
• Have a buy local campaign
• Be a jerk.
• Make more money.
• Learn how to make a web page more secure.

Carrboro Locally Owned Independent Businesses Edit

ConsumersEdit

Consumer Action ItemsEdit

Educational Campaign on reasons to buy localEdit

Educational campaign on local businessesEdit

Provide information to residents on the many sectors in which they can buy local and the specific businesses in each.

Next steps	Develop strategy: Methods for communication, time frame, materials
By Whom	Business network (town)
Steps to Succeed	Preparation and dissemination of regular information items that are accesible and of interest to residents
Resources needed	Folks with public relations, design, and/or marketing skills who understand local living economy initiative. Funds to disseminate materials. Creation and collection of baseline and follow-up metrics. Other as identified.
Timeframes	Could start within next 6 months, then ongoing.
Benefit	Increased patronage by Carrboro residents for local businesses of all kinds
Cost	varies
Fits with Items	Educational campaign on benefits of local. Business network; various promotion of particular sectors.
Ranking	High
Measures of success	Ability to survey residents, as Bellingham did, and find report of increase shopping for local products and services. (implies baseline survey)

MaterialsEdit

• Local business directory updated and managed by the town

Campaign examplesEdit

Heal LocalEdit

A program to promote Carrboro's healthcare and healing services a la Walk Carrboro.

Next steps	Inventory local healthcare providers, body workers, pharmacies, dentists, etc..
By Whom	Business network, Health sector workers, or the Town
Steps to Succeed	critical-mass of providers
Resources needed	Someone to create inventory and solicit participation from businesses; a focused marketing plan; creation and collection of baseline and follow-up metrics
Town's Role	Provide technical support 9database mgt), advertising support in terms of finances, etc.
Timeframe
Benefit	Grows clientele for local health/wellness businesses
Cost
Fits with Items	Schuman's "Best places to localize spending #s 10 & 11
Ranking
Measures of success	Baseline and follw-up metrics for revenues and local costumers recruited/retained.

• • Local Auto Service -- Campaign coupon book to encourage residents to get their cars serviced and fueled in Carrboro
  • Thanks for eating local -- Thanks you card listing participating eateries
• Kick-off event on local living economy
  • town behind 1st big event
    • See how it goes
    • future events carried on by local businesses / orgs
• Ongoing local living economy events
  • Honor Junk Quarterly event to encourage re-use, recycling, repairing and reselling.

PolicymakersEdit

Inventory of Existing PoliciesEdit

• Carrboro Revolving Loan Fund

Community BuildersEdit

Carrboro Organizations

InvestorsEdit