Which Corps/Products to Avoid and Which to Support

[RufusTFirefly]

8. This is a great start

I might take it a step further by providing explicit alternatives for people who are currently buying from unfriendly companies

For example:

Use Kobo instead of Kindle
If you're currently buying eBooks from Amazon, you can often buy eBooks from independent bookstores by using Kobo instead of Kindle. The indy stores get a cut of every Kobo eBook you order through them.

Use CREDO instead of AT&T or Verizon
Some of us have been using CREDO for our phone service all the way back to the days when it was called Working Assets Long Distance. But for newcomers, the "killer app" may be the iPhone, which is now available through CREDO.

One of the easiest ways to buy local
If you're having a tough time buying local for things like groceries and hardware, there's one sector where it's amazingly easy for nearly everyone: restaurants. Although there are definitely mega-chain eateries, restaurants are one of the places where locally owned businesses are still quite commonplace. Find a neighborhood restaurant and patronize it. You'll be dealing with human beings who hold the fate of the business in their hands, instead of representatives who are merely doing the bidding of the corporate headquarters.

Find a local cafe
Starbucks may be perceived as hip and progressive, but they are suffocating local cafes in much the same way that Amazon is killing local bookstores. See if you can't find a local cafe in your town and become a "regular."