Blog: Encinitas Businesswoman on Supporting Local Now

Founded:        2012.

BAKES:          How did you choose Support Local Now as your business and what makes you passionate about it? 

AMBER SOUKUP:      I feel my business actually chose me. I grew up on a farm in Hawaii, where my family sold organic macadamia nuts to larger companies. That experience, at an early age, provided real world experience in how to start a small business and how to become involved in a local community. I initially moved to Encinitas to attend school and work, and ultimately I obtained a degree in business. I found Encinitas to be very unique much like Hawaii and I wanted to be a part of preserving small businesses in the community. I believe both small and large businesses can coexist, but it takes a lot to have both work together. I asked myself “what makes Encinitas so special”? Part of it are the local business owners that make Encinitas so unique, and that the community at large truly cares and supports our local business owners. It was at that moment that I decided to start a non-profit organization designed to educate, promote and connect small business owners about the importance of shopping locally and building a strong economy within the local community. There are other states such as Arizona and Utah that have been spearheading similar types of non-profits to do the same.

BAKES:          What made you decide to start a business in Encinitas?

SOUKUP:      I care about North County and Encinitas and want to do everything I can to keep it unique, as it is now and preserving what is important as it grows. I also believe that once we start, other communities can model after ours.

BAKES:          What makes your business unique? And, what distinguishes what you do from other businesses?

SOUKUP:      My business is really a movement…it’s not just about me being passionate about my business, but just as important it’s about bringing together small business owners and the community to become as passionate as I am about continuing the vitality of small business in Encinitas. While I support other local organizations, my focus is purely on local independent business owners. The businesses that I interact with do not include, for example, business franchises. Support Local Now provides a list of qualifications that each business owner must satisfy in order to become a “member” of the organization. In my research, before establishing Support Local Now, I did not come across any other organizations similar to what Support Local Now does anywhere within San Diego County. The community has readily acknowledged the need for a non-profit like Support Local Now, but up to this point in time, no one has taken the initiative to spearhead the movement, so I decided to take action.

BAKES:          What are some of the things you would like Encinitas residents to know about your organization, that they may not know?

The community and our local business owners are as much a part of Support Local Now as the people in my organization. I currently have three staff members and we are growing. My vision for the future is to design a model for other towns and cities throughout San Diego County and then to expand my concept throughout the entire state of California. I am hopeful that if Support Local Now becomes a model for California, Support Local Now will spread and develop to other states.

As a Hawaiian native, we relied primarily on barges to bring food to the islands. Most people would probably be shocked to know that if Hawaii were to suffer any major disaster, and the island had no means of bringing in provisions of any kind, our food supply would be depleted within about three days’ time…that thought is pretty staggering. So, when we consider the major disasters we’ve seen in recent years, I believe that we have become too dependent on outside sources for food and other provisions rather than rely on local products. So, I decided to start my quest in the place I live (Encinitas) by connecting the local community and its residents in designing a model for local sustainability.

BAKES:          What is your opinion about the local economy and the future of San Diego?

SOUKUP:      I have lived in San Diego for the past eight years so I arrived here at the beginning of the economic decline. Today, however, even though the economy is still hard hit, and continues to be a struggle, I am very hopeful because in any economic downturn and with large corporate layoffs comes new and emerging businesses that will grow within our local community and that is exciting to me…it speaks volumes about the future direction for San Diego!

BAKES:          What direction would you like to see for the downtown?

It is important to maintain what we already have. Little Italy (in San Diego) is a great example because they don’t tear things down and simply rebuild what’s already there…instead, they simply restore their historic buildings and retain the small local businesses that have been there for decades and have become a part of the local fabric of that community. I believe we can keep North County Local, but it takes all of us to start making small changes by shopping local.

BAKES:          What other types of businesses would you like to see come to town?

SOUKUP:      I would like to see more local publications like Patch. It is incredible that Patch has just now taken off when this should have been one of the older businesses within all of our local communities. Every town has a local grocery store, a coffee house and local newspaper, so Patch is just one more example of a more recent business that did not exist before. More than wanting to see new businesses come, I don’t want to see any of the current local businesses to leave.

BAKES:          What are three simple ways to get involved today?

Our first event will be held at Papagayo on Monday, April 8th which will include a farm to fork dinner, wine tasting, and live music all provided by our local business owners. Please visit our website for more details and to purchase your tickets!

If you can’t make it be sure to start supporting this movement of supporting your local businesses to strengthen and build our local community for a better economy by doing the following two things:

Visit Support Local Now’s website and take the local pledge, which is free but extremely important to participate in.

“Like” us on Facebook to show support to our local businesses owners. 

George Bakes is a commercial real estate broker in the Del Mar office of Coldwell Banker Commercial NRT, 2651 Via De La Valle, Del Mar, CA 92014, (858) 602-2799, george.bakes@coldwellbanker.com, www.sandiegogocommercial.com.