We have become such a divided nation in the most recent election with people choosing to literally stop talking to one another based on which presidential candidate the other person supports. Now that we know who the next President is going to be, it’s time we all make a difference. And Beer can save our country. Okay, some of my readers don’t imbibe in anything alcoholic so I’m sure some people have already presumed my insanity with that statement. But it’s true. Sort of. While there’s huge focus on the national stage, and for good reason, there’s really an opportunity for us all to make a huge difference in this country. I believe the election centered around two big issues; jobs and health insurance. If you’re looking to a nerd with a computer to fix the health care issues, fuhgeddaboudit. But the jobs issue can be solved by me. And you. Think about a beer. When you go to wherever it is that you buy beer, if you’re buying one of the big brands of beer you’re actually taking money out of your neighborhood and sending it away. The profits from that six pack of beer flies out of your community and into the pockets of a megacorporation. In one case, that money even makes the trip overseas to Belgium rather than helping anybody you know. Funny that they called their beer “America” for a while. But imagine if, instead, you took that money and bought beer brewed right in your own community. The person who brews the beer would probably buy a home, which means they’d need a handyman and buy supplies from the local hardware store. They would pay property taxes on that home which bolsters the local government which means better roads and law enforcement and even other emergency services. They would employ people to serve the beer and pay taxes to the local government on the place where they make the beer. This means one less shop in your neighborhood that’s closed with a big “for rent” sign on it. Property values are going to go up because there’s a hot spot within a short distance of your house and that makes the downtown area look more attractive to other businesses. Now your downtown is looking better already and those people who the brewery employs are shopping there and paying their taxes which also helps the local economy. Plus, you get to show off that great local beer to your friends and family at gatherings so you and they enjoy a richer experience. And there are more jobs and better police and fire and smoother roads. All because you had a beer. And with all the tension and people protesting and such, doesn’t it sound great to have a beer right now? So while it might seem that $5 for a pint of beer is expensive compared to $7.99 for a whole six pack of “big” beer, what you’re really doing is boosting the whole local economy while enjoying much better beer than that cheap national swill. Oh, did I mention that I am very biased toward beer that actually tastes like beer? When you look at this argument it really does make sense. So while the presidential election was all about jobs and the economy, really we have a tremendous amount of power in our own wallets to make a gigantic difference. Imagine if you purchased your bicycle from the local bike shop instead of the big box store? I bet they actually offer real service, too. And there are so many other ways we can keep our money in our own community which creates local job growth, helps raise property values (fewer empty buildings) and really makes our own neighborhoods much nicer. The truth is, automation has really been a giant factor in the job situation in this country and many of the jobs that were great jobs are now done by automated processes. And other jobs face the chopping block sooner, rather than later, as big companies seek to reduce turnover and costs. Think your job at the fast food joint is safe? They’re working furiously at automating both the kitchen and the ordering process. And fast food is just one industry that’s working hard to take humans out of the equation as much as possible. If you enjoy the Ted talks, there’s a great one all about this. I'm not the only one with this information. You can read a study by the American Independent Business Alliance with more facts and figures about this. Comments are closed.
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Tony BarthelTony Barthel is passionate about great marketing for small businesses Get Free Weekly Marketing TipsCategories
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