Support Gulf Coast Small Business Awareness Day

PETITION TO MAKE OCTOBER 3RD, 2012, "GULF COAST SMALL BUSINESS AWARENESS DAY"

In recent years, the Gulf Coast has been hammered by natural, economic and ecological disasters, and the resilience of the people who make their homes and businesses on this beautiful but vulnerable stretch of land has been tested.

As entrepreneurs and citizens of the region who believe in the importance of growing and sustaining small businesses, we're petitioning to make October 3rd, 2012, “Gulf Coast Small Business Awareness Day”. This petition is part of an initiative that we hope will create unprecedented grassroots support and significant financial impact for the intrepid small business owners throughout the Gulf Coast region.

Our goal is to move at least 1 million people to action on this day and beyond. Simply put, if a million people spend an average of just $20 each in a conscious effort to “shop local first” on October 3rd, the immediate impact of the resulting $20,000,000 on small Gulf Coast businesses will be tremendous; if a million people develop a greater collective awareness of the importance of supporting small businesses through the force of this campaign, the effect will be both significant and lasting.

Entrepreneurs and small business owners themselves will be encouraged to support this day by focusing internally – to evaluate their strategies, to find ways to streamline profits, to create jobs, and to grow.

Public officials at all levels will be encouraged to support this day by spreading the word to their citizenry.

In addition to an on-line petition, we're circulating a hard copy petition throughout the Gulf Coast region, amassing signatures from citizens, business owners, and celebrities who are willing to lend their names to our cause.

Please sign and stand with us in our quest to call citizens to action on October 3rd and beyond in support of small Gulf Coast businesses, and please remember to buy local first.