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…
Small businesses have a lot of benefits over larger companies. They’re more agile and able to change quickly, more in touch with what their customers want, and offer a more direct line from customer service to management but what they don’t have often is resources. They’re strapped for time because Read more…
Spring has sprung and over the next several weeks your social calendar is probably bursting with Mother’s Day, Teacher Appreciation Week, graduations, weddings, etc. As the weather warms, the invitations heat up. You want to find the perfect, thoughtful, unique gift for each of these occasions but how do you Read more…
If you’re running a shop local campaign you want to do more than just offer a list of participating shops. You want to capture the uniqueness of each merchant and communicate it to potential buyers. To do this most effectively, you’ll need social media. Get the Social Word Out You don’t Read more…
There are some amazing movements going on with shop local. From chambers of commerce to local business associations, people are realizing the value of small entrepreneurs in the community’s economic landscape. You can come up with the most inventive shop local campaign ever but if you’re not maximizing it for Read more…
Beyond the trendy hype and the hoopla of shopping local, many employers see the value in giving back to their community. That’s why getting employers to adopt chamber bucks as a replacement for gift card incentives isn’t hard. Here are the things you need to mention when pitching a company: Read more…
Does your chamber give rewards for referring a business for membership? If so, how do you “pay” them? Do you give them a discount on renewal? Maybe you send over a gift basket. Whatever you do, you want the thank you gift to do two things — show your appreciation Read more…
Chambers are well known in their communities, which is a plus for any sort of event or campaign they take on, but your shop local program still needs marketing attention. While you’re out there publicizing it on your website and social media outlets, don’t forget to ask the local media Read more…
Here are a couple of smart ideas on how Easter activities can supercharge a shop local campaign and bring more people to your downtown area. Celebrate Businesses on the Bunny Trail First, one from across the pond. Neston (UK) has created an Easter egg hunt all ages can enjoy. Participants pick Read more…
If you have a chamber gift certificate, or chamber bucks program, you’ve rolled out in the hopes of encouraging people to spend more locally, you know what a help they can be to local businesses. They make great prizes and giveaways, as well as employee recognition awards and awards for chamber Read more…
