A new twist on "local."

If you’re reading this, you’re probably like me and love going local. A “Coming Soon” sign gets me secretly giddy. Discovering a new local haunt lights me up. But what I’ve learned more recently is there are actually some new, innovative ways to go local and invest in the community in a whole new way. Check these out – and let me know if they’re helpful!

ShopLocal - I tend to frequent the same shops in the East Bay but would love to know if there are local deals out there I’m missing. ShopLocal let me put in my zipcode and “poof” – here are the deals that are happening here and now. The “ad” format is not my favorite, but if you’re a quicker skimmer, you can find some good stuff you may have ignored. www.shoplocal.com

East Bay SCORE – this is actually an oldie but goodie. When I think about the businesses I love sticking around, I forget that they probably need more than just my $20 purchase. They need a long-term plan. If you’ve got biz skills, this is a great way to give back by volunteering as a local business mentor. https://eastbay.score.org/volunteer

CNote Local Investing – This one’s pretty cool. I don’t consider myself an “investor” – I have a 401k and that’s about it. But this company lets people like me invest in vetted local businesses and then gives me a steady 3% return each year. It’s backed by the U.S. Department of Treasury (which makes me feel a lot safer) and I can put in as little as $25. They emphasize supporting women and minority businesses which I personally dig. www.cnotegroup.com

So there you have it. Three new ways you can go local each and every day. Any other new ways you know to support local? Please share!