What Lemont businesses would you miss if they went under? Store owners hope the answer is all of them.
The Village and Lemont Area Chamber of Commerce are joining together with local businesses to become a part of the national movement known as The 3/50 Project, which asks consumers to pick three local, independent businesses they would not want to live without, and then commit to spending $50 a month among those businesses.
“The idea isn’t to spend a lot of additional money, but rather to think about where you are currently spending your money, and redirect $50 of that back to local, independent businesses,” said Ryan Sullivan, president of the Lemont Area Chamber of Commerce.
Julie Kulhanek, owner of Bottles on Talcott Avenue in downtown Lemont, is one business owner who could use a boost in sales.
“The economy’s killing us,” she said.
Kulhanek also attributes the slump to the store’s location — “We’re kind of off the beaten path,” she said — and residents’ apathy toward shopping locally.
“Our problem is getting people into the downtown area,” she said. “The people of Lemont need to realize if you spend your money in Lemont, it helps the town. When sales are down, it affects the town. I live in Lemont and try do all of my shopping in Lemont if possible.”
Although the premise of The 3/50 Project is simple, its impact can be huge, said James Brown, Lemont planning and economic development director.
“Lemont has nearly 5,000 households — if each household spent $50 a month at local businesses, the total sales generated would be almost $250,000 each month,” he said.
Organizers of The 3/50 Project said $68 of every $100 spent in independently owned stores returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures.
The Lemont Public Library will be helping out with the new marketing tool this holiday season by distributing The 3/50 Project promotional bookmarks.
