Vote & Help SSBN Win a Changmakers Grant!

Last Wednesday, Community Matters' Strong Communities announced that LanX & SSBN made it to the final round of their competition! This project and 7 others will be attending a conference in Denver, CO in the beginning of October to share their ideas and hopefully take home the grand prize. In order to win, we need all of our LanX supporters to vote! Please log on to www.changemakers.com/strongcommunities and vote for our project, and spread thw word!


The ssbn has been involved as a supporter of LanX from its inception, and hosted several open forums in 2008 and 2009 at member businesses.

Thank you so much for your continued support and wish us luck!

LanX: A Local Securities Exchange Project of South Central Pennsylvania Named Finalist in National Strong Communities Competition

LanX is one step closer to $5000 and winning the national Strong Communities: Engaging Citizens, Strengthening Place, Inspiring Change competition. This initiative of LanX was selected by CommunityMatters and Ashoka's Changemakers as one of 24 semi-finalists in early September, and was just named one of 8 finalists.


"The motivation of LanX is to make a serious difference in our community, while still recognizing and fostering its unique identity. LanX is designed to empower communities to finance their own futures and severing any dependencies on larger financial institutions.We are thankful to have this great opportunity to share our idea with a forum of individuals who care about their communities just as much as we do." -Jean Zouck


Three $5000 grand prize winners will be chosen by online voting between September 22 and October 7, so give LanX your vote! Visit www.changemakers.com/strongcommunities to read about LanX and cast your vote. All finalists will win a free trip to the national CommunityMatters'10 conference in Denver, October 5-8 (www.communitymatters.org/conference), which brings together leaders, thinkers and doers working to build stronger communities. The three grand prize winners will be announced October 8 in Denver.The Strong Communities competition seeks to identify innovative projects and ideas that engage citizens to steer change and build strong communities across the United StatesandCanada and to address problems ranging from economic decline to one-size-fits-all development, from decreasing social capital to the global energy crisis. The competition is sponsored by the Orton Family Foundation, which works to build vibrant, enduring communities in the Northeast and Rocky Mountain West.The finalists were selected by a panel of expert judges (Majora Carter, Founder of Sustainable South Bronx and President of the Majora Carter Group; Rich Harwood, Founder and President of the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation; Jared Duval, author and Fellow at Demos; and Bonnie Shaw, Founder and Director of BYO Consulting).Visit www.changemakers.com/strongcommunities to see the entrants and finalists, join the discussion, and to vote for the winners after September 22.


About LanX


LanX is a local securities market that provides ultra micro-cap financing to SMEs, rejuvenating local communities by providing more financing options and shrinking the equity gap that currently hampers the development of small businesses. LanX will be a self-sustaining, locally governed, regional securities exchange that channels capital to small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) in South Central Pennsylvania. LanX aspires to help issue and trade securities for SMEs in a 10 county South Central Pennsylvania region, with the goal of replication in key areas around the nation. It is a prototype for a local exchange that can be replicated in many regions throughout the United States. LanX will help local companies seeking $500,000 to $10 million in an eight to ten-county region issue securities intended for within-state individual and institutional investors, who in turn will be able to trade the shares more widely on the LanX online trading platform.




About CommunityMatters


CommunityMatters is an interactive exchange for individuals and organizations working to engage citizens and build strong, vibrant communities from the ground up. CommunityMatters fuels a growing network of leaders, thinkers and doers in a variety of disciplines - planning, sustainability, health, democracy, education, economic development, and the arts. CommunityMatters is a project of the Orton Family Foundation, in collaboration with other partners. www.communitymatters.org

September Gathering at Fresco Green Building Supplies

ssbn and FRESCO GREEN BUILDING SUPPLIES cordially invite you to join us Network and meet ssbn members & businesses
Thursday, September 30th 6:00pm-8:30pm
Fresco Showroom
1520 Commerce Drive Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603

The ‘Going Green’ Frenzy

Are you riding the wave, or are you in it for the long haul?

In a challenging business environment, Rick Frescatore is going to speak to SSBN members and friends about why this is a wake-up call to begin evolving into a more sustainable organization, by incorporating environmental, social & economical philosophy into everyday business practice. ‘Going Green’ is a whole lot more than redesigning your marketing materials!”


Rick will provide a walk-through tour of the Fresco Green Building Resource & Education Center
Join us for a fun evening of learning and connecting. Meet local businesses that are walking the talk and learn how ssbn can be an answer for your business.

To RSVP contact Patrick Kirkham patrick@naturalalliance.org by Sep25th.

Stacy Mitchell Takes on the PA Chamber of Business & Industry, Which Is Lobbying AGAINST PA Owned Businesses!

Commentary: Misrepresenting Small Business

The two groups that have traditionally spoken for small business in Washington often push an agenda that only big business could love
By Stacy Mitchell

For six years, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell has tried to give a tax cut to businesses in his state. And year after year the Democratic governor's proposal has been stymied by a surprising foe: the state's business lobby.

Both the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry and the state chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) have opposed Rendell's plan to slash the business income-tax rate. Why? The plan would close a loophole that allows certain multi-state companies—mainly retail chains and banks—to shield profits earned in Pennsylvania from state taxes. In other words, for the Chamber and NFIB, ensuring that a handful of corporations continue to enjoy a tax break is worth denying thousands of small businesses a tax cut.

READ MORE AT BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK...

Back To School Shopping, The Local Way

It's that time of the year when parents and children are gearing up for a new school year... and that means shopping lists!  When shopping for your family's back to school needs this year, we suggest looking for independently owned local sources....Why?

• You sustain a local economy. Independents generate 70% MORE local economic activity per square foot than chain stores.  For every $100 spent at a chain, less than $40 circulates back through the community BUT For every $100 spent at a home town business, more than $65 circulates back through the community. When shopping online ZERO money stays in your community... not even sales tax dollars are returned to the state!
• You embrace what makes us unique! You wouldn’t want your house to look like everyone else’s in the U.S. So why would you want your community to look that way?
• You create local jobs . Local businesses are better at creating higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.
• You help the environment.  Buying from a local business conserves energy and resources in the form of less fuel for transportation, less packaging, and products that you know are safe and well made, because we stand behind them.
• You nurture community. We know you, and you know us. Studies have shown that local businesses donate to community causes at more than twice the rate of chains.
• You conserve your tax dollars.  Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money available to beautify our community. Also, spending locally instead of online ensures that your sales taxes are reinvested where they belong—right here in your community! 
• You created more choice.  We pick the items and products we sell based on what we know you like and want. Local businesses carry a wider array of unique products because we buy for our own individual market.
• You invest in entrepreneurship. Creativity and entrepreneurship are what the American economy is founded upon. Nurturing local business ensures a strong community.

How?  Here are some suggestions for typical back to school needs-

1) Clothes.  Why buy new when used is better?  Lancaster and York counties have a plethora of quality consignment shops that feature great cloths for children, like ssbn member Divine Consign

2) Supplies. So the chains may have easy buttons and wide aisles, but do they have the character and personality of a locally owned shop? Heck no!  For pens, paper, notebooks etc. we suggest shopping at a locally owned pharmacy.. your neighborhood drug store that has a little bit of everything! Like McElroy Pharmacy in Lititz, or one of the ten Royer Pharmacy  and Sloan Pharmacy shops throughout Lancaster County, and don't forget places like Stauffers of Kissell Hill have lots of school supplies too! Need to bulk up for the year? Can't go wrong with our favorite supplies supplier- GreenLine Paper Company!

3) Books.  There are three great locally owned bookshops that are ssbn members that are more than happy to help you track down that elusive book on the reading list- Aaron's Books, Dogstar Books, & Winding Way Books

And once the kids are on the bus, why not sit back, relax and enjoy a good cup of coffee or a sweet treat from an independent locally owned coffee shop or bakery!

  

August 2010 Mixer

ssbn and Community Heritage Partners
cordially invite you to join us
Network and meet ssbn members & businesses
Thursday, August 19th 6:30pm-8:00pm
214 West Grant Street Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603

RSVP: Patrick Kirkham, patrick@naturalalliance.org
by August 15th.

Expressly Local will be open until 8:00pm for your local healthy snacking convenience.

ssbn Annual PotLuck Picnic

All are welcome!

July 18, 2:30pm

Horn Farm, York County