Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

BRIDGETOWN BUCKS http://gtne.org/?q=node/502 Small business networking, Local markets FINANCIAL SERVICES Bridgetown Bucks are a project of PDX Currency Corporation, an Oregon non-profit. Paper currency accepted by locally owned and operated businesses in and around Portland, Oregon. Notes are backed by national currency deposits at local credit union exactly as Berkshares operates. Expanding local business to meet more of Portland's local needs. Founded in 2012 121 SW Salmon Street 11th Floor, Suite 152 Portland, United States http://www.pdxcurrency.net carl@pdxcurrency.net TAGS: PDXcurrency, Berkshares, Local Currency Uploaded by pdxcurrency (Founder/Main Contact|I am the FOUNDER or MAIN CONTACT POINT for this project) YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN... BAMBOO FOR TIMBER Substituting timber with bamboo in Anyinam provides rural communities with new livelihoods, while relieving pressure on the ecosystem. Ghana ZANZIBAR BUTTERFLY PARK The butterfly park in Zanzibar employs and trains local staff and farmers, alleviating poverty and promoting environmental conservation Tanzania ALOE FARMING Sustainable aloe farming to empower the rights of women Kenya FEED YOURSELF, CARE FOR YOURSELF AND BEAUTIFY YOURSELF WITH THE SAME PLANTS Womens cooperative building a supply chain of natural ingredients based on fair-trade principles Senegal HOURS Directory | What are Ithaca Hours? | How can I participate? What are Ithaca Hours? Ithaca Hours is a local currency system that promotes local economic strength and community self-reliance in ways which will support economic and social justice, ecology, community participation and human aspirations in and around Ithaca, New York. Ithaca Hours help to keep money local, building the Ithaca economy. It also builds community pride and connections. Over 900 participants publicly accept Ithaca HOURS for goods and services. Additionally some local employers and employees have agreed to pay or receive partial wages in Ithaca Hours, further continuing our goal of keeping money local. Why Should I Join? If you have a business or provide a service there are three main reasons to join the HOURS network. It’s good for your business - being listed in the print version of the HOURS Directory and on the HOURS website provides additional customers who have HOURS to spend and are looking for businesses that take them. It supports the local economy – unlike dollars HOURS keeps money in the community to build our local economy. It pays for itself immediately – you pay $10 for a single listing in the Directory and we immediately give you 2 HOURS, worth $20 (4 HOURS if you join or renew at our Annual Meeting). The main concern a business often has when considering accepting HOURS is what will I do with the HOURS I get from customers or clients? The first thing to note is that you decide what rate of HOURS you will accept for purchases or services. Some member businesses accept 100% HOURS but many limit the HOURS they will accept. You should calculate a rate of HOURS that is proportional to your ability to put them back into the local economy. In thinking about this you may be surprised to learn that in fact there are many outlets for the use of HOURS. If you look in the Directory you will find many other places you can easily spend HOURS. Or write us for help (info@ithacahours.org). If you don’t sell any goods or services there are still good reasons to join Ithaca HOURS. Ithaca HOURS is our local currency. It keeps money local, building our local economy. It builds community pride and connections. And you will be participating in the oldest and largest local currency system in the U.S. It’s also fun to get and use something other than dollars (remember how much you enjoyed or still enjoy using monopoly money), and unlike monopoly money Ithaca HOURS really are accepted just the same as US dollars at hundreds of Ithaca-area merchants and service providers. But unlike US dollars when you spend an HOUR you know it is going to stay in our community, keep circulating, supporting our economy and maybe even end up right back in your pocket. And also unlike dollars this is your system. You can get to know the people who run the system (HOURS Board of Directors) as well as those business people that accept HOURS, and you can even help make the decisions which make the system run (by attending the Annual Meeting, electing and talking with members of the Board, or even running for a seat on the Board yourself.