Farmer’s markets are the original shop local movement. Many farmer’s markets now offer everything from crafts and artwork to artisan cheese. The stalls are a colorful explosion of nature’s goodness alongside neighbors’ home goods. These markets are the ideal way to support your community. In addition to keeping more of your Read more…
If you’re planning a shop local holiday extravaganza this November, you need to start planning it now. Assuming you’ve read yesterday’s summer edition of your shop local program to-do list, let’s move onto what will keep you busy this fall. September: Produce Collateral Create marketing collateral to tell your town Read more…
We’re nearly half-way through the year and now that the weather is finally starting to get warmer, it’s difficult to believe the holiday season will be here before we know it, but it will. If you’re planning on hosting a Small Business Saturday or shop local holiday kick-off campaign right Read more…
If you have a local savings or punch card to incentivize people to shop local in your town, you know how great they are. If you don’t have a local savings card but are thinking about one, there are a number of different types. Selecting the right one for your Read more…
Moms rarely get to be the center of attention. They likely are always doing for someone else in the family or community. Mother’s Day is this Sunday and a shop local gift certificate is a great way to show her how much you appreciate her. Here’s why moms love them: Read more…
If you’re considering a local currency program that allows member businesses to accept gift certificates as a means of payment, you’re about to bring a very worthwhile program into your community. Many small merchants don’t have the time to manage a gift certificate program so having a chamber or shop Read more…
May 4-8 is National Small Business Week and it’s the perfect time to pay tribute to the strength small businesses bring our local (and national) economy. The Small Business Administration (SBA) defines small business as any business that employs less than 500 people. If you think about your community, that’s a Read more…
One of the keys to a successful shop local campaign is encouraging shoppers to branch out and try something new. Once they visit, they’re more likely to return if the store makes an impression. While the Internet is a valuable property for most businesses, shop local still relies mainly on Read more…
Shop local movements have become very trendy but how do you put one together for your community? The same way you eat an elephant (as the old saying goes), bite by bite. Obtain Buy-In The first thing you need to do is rally your local merchants. If you have a quaint Read more…
It’s “easy” to lure shoppers to a quaint section of Main Street to do their shopping at the fun boutiques, ice cream parlors selling mouth-watering fudge, and doggie dress-up shops but for organizations pushing shop local it’s important not to forget your other local businesses, the ones that are not Read more…
