The 10% Shift is a strategy designed for people and organizations to respond to the current economic crisis.  By making a modest behavior change and shifting 10% of our annual budget from non-local businesses to Local Independents we can help build a strong local economy, and we can do it now.

If the five million households in the Lowcountry shifted 10% of their annual budget to Local Independents we would see extraordinary results:

• Expanded Job Creation — Create 48,000 new jobs created which would decrease the Lowcountry unemployment rate by 1.5%
• Economic Growth — Generate over $1 billion of increased economic activity in the Lowcountry
• Entrepreneurial Ventures — Inspire the formation thousands of new entrepreneurial ventures
• Environment Protected — Decrease thousands of tons of greenhouse gas emissions
• Enhanced Communities — Revitalize local Lowcountry communities
Examinging the Impact of Local Businesses on the West Michigan Economy

These enormous benefits to the Lowcountry economy are thanks to what is called the Local Multiplier.  When dollars are spent at Local Independents, up to three times as much money stays locally, and since Local Independents are much more likely to keep the money circulating in the local economy the economic impact multiplies dramatically.  This economic growth resulting from the circulation of dollars within the local economy is the Local Multiplier at work.  Bottom line—making the 10% Shift strengthens our local economy and revitalizes our communities beginning today and without using one taxpayer dollar.