News 12 at 11 o'clock, February 2, 2010

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- In November and December across the nation, smaller independent stores did just a little bit better than the big chain stores, according to the national retail federation.

Part of the reason is the push by communities to have consumers spend their money locally. Some businesses in the CSRA are pushing a new program in the CSRA called the 3/50 Project.

The 3/50 Project pushes people to spend $50 across three local businesses. Organizers say that will have a greater impact on the local economy, unlike buying at large franchise stores.

David Hutchison, owner of The Book Tavern in downtown Augusta, said his small business is his life, because it has come so far over the past seven years.

"It means food on the table, sustenance for my family," he said. "And of course, you know, it's my dream."

Hutchison is also the president of the Downtown Augusta Alliance, a group of downtown businesses he is encouraging to join the 3/50 Project.

"It's really just shifting your spending from a box store like Wal-Mart to a local store," Hutchison said.

For every hundred dollars you spend in a locally owned stores, $68 goes back into the local economy in taxes, payroll and other expenditures. If you spend that much in a larger chain store, an average of $43 goes into the community. If you buy online, nothing goes into the local economy.

"It's a win win for everybody," Hutchison said.

In Aiken, a 3/50 Project sticker graces the window of Oliv'a Italian Restaurant.

"Without us, there would be no Augusta, there would be no Aiken, there would be no CSRA," said owner Bradley Czajka.

As he cooked up dinner for his restaurant guests, he told News 12 he's happy these type of campaigns are being pushed more and more across the country, because he says that's not how things used to be.

"I think the big problem is that there wasn't any light on it," he said. "Everybody was ignoring the problem."

But now the push is greater than ever, and business owners across the area are hoping people will shop local to keep money staying in the community and their businesses alive.

The project's web site, the350project.net, states if half the population spent $50 each month among three local businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue, citing the U.S. Labor Department.