On Friday, March 13, the Chamber officially launched its latest initiative – BUY IN. Less than three weeks into the program, more than 70 businesses have pledged to shift 5% of their out-of-area spending into Linn County. “The program is off to a great start, we have received tremendous support and positive feedback from all sectors of the business community,” says Jeff Schamberger, Chamber member director.
However, business pledges are just the beginning, some of those businesses have already used the REPORT IN feature on the website to inform us of the dollars being shifted– together, we have already brought over $148,000 into Linn County businesses!
So what are members saying about BUY IN?
“As a flood victim, we believe the quickest way for Cedar Rapids to recover from the flood is to give our business to local merchants and service providers,” said Jim Thebeau, partner & CEO of Henry Russell Bruce in Cedar Rapids.
Warren Geisler and Kris Walderbach, owners of Quality Print, Lucky Awards, and The Button Whole in Marion agree. “We make a point of checking for a local source each time we make a purchase.” Warren continues, “Finding a local business was relatively easy. We were able to purchase one item from a local supplier we were already using. We didn’t realize they were able to offer us the same item that we had previously purchased out of state.”
Both companies have pledged to BUY IN on this website and have already reported shifts of several thousand dollars. The Chamber would like you to add your business to the growing list of businesses pledging to shift 5% back to Linn County. Remember, it’s not about buying more; it’s about keeping more of what you spend here.
What is BUY IN?
Led by the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, BUY IN is an initiative encouraging area businesses to shift just 5% of their current out-of-area purchases back into our local economy. It’s not about buying more – it’s about keeping more of the dollars you already spend right here in Linn County. The potential result if our community shifts just 5%– more than $400 million in additional sales for local businesses which then creates a demand for an additional 2,300 additional jobs.