This past week I was saddened to hear that was closing. Lately I’ve been noticing more and more empty storefronts around town. Now, I don’t have great business sense or an entrepreneurial spirit. I don’t have cooking skills or retail knowledge. But what I DO have is an occasional $20 to spend. I figured why not make an extra effort every now and then to patronize CV businesses.
A simple grassroots movement has taken this $20 idea and created something called a “Cash Mob.” It’s a very straightforward, proactive thing anyone can participate in. Community members choose a local business to “mob”, and as many people as possible show up on an appointed day and time with $20 in cash to spend. The goal is to infuse a local business with some cash and community support.
The past couple months we have had in Castro Valley. Our next Cash Mob will be THIS Saturday, June 9 at Restore and Rework. Meet at the corner of San Carlos and Park Way in Castro Valley at 1pm. business owner Cisco (also a ) has agreed to waive the sales tax for anyone sporting a Shop Local sticker. How do you obtain one of these coveted stickers? Just show up and we’ll give you one!
So here’s what you get out of joining the Cash Mob: you discover a local business you didn’t know about before. You support the local economy. You buy some cool stuff. And hey, you might even meet some of your fellow Castro Valleyans you haven’t met before.
At previous Cash Mobs in CV, we’ve had about 20 or so people come. I challenge YOU, Patch readers, to help us double that number! I know we can do it. So come and join the mob! The more, the mobbier, the merrier it will be.
As one of our Facebook fans said recently, “The Boulevard may be broken, but our support of CV businesses isn’t!”
If you can’t make it this weekend, you can still show your support! “Like” the Cash Mob Castro Valley page on Facebook, follow @CashMobCV on Twitter, or stay tuned for my next blog post when I announce the next Cash Mob.
