I was recently asked, along with two coworkers, to try and put together a new flash demo that would help better explain the benefits of being a member of CitySquares. After working on it for a while and tossing around several ideas, we realized that we kept coming back to the same two points. Number one: Where are all of the small business advertising dollars really going and who exactly are they reaching? Number two: being online and targeting a qualified, local audience is really where they get the most bang for their buck.
Working on this project, I started to draw a few conclusions. It is not that consumers have no interest in local business, it is that they don’t know where to find you, and they forget. It used to be that customer loyalty was gained simply by being an active member of your community in a physical sense. It is obvious that the definition of a community is rapidly changing. Whether it is MySpace or Facebook or any other site, people are congregating in these online communities where they feel some sort of connection or draw. CitySquares is quite literally an online playground for local business owners and consumers looking for them. The kid who used to play jacks outside your storefront is still out there, he just happens to be sitting on his Mac for a few hours while he plans out his day. The point is that CitySquares gives you a chance to be found by people who want to find you.
The flash demo storyboard came together nicely. It really will offer a new outlook on the benefits of becoming part of our community! I am excited to see what it looks like when it is finished. Keep an eye out for it!
I’m in NYC this week attending the SES conference. I’m staying uptown at my friend Rich’s place. Last night, to thank him for putting me up (and putting up with me) I treated him to sushi and sake. Rich and I used to work together at Delphi.com, who later become Prospero.com, from 1999 thru 2001. Being that we share a professional background in the Internet (web 1.0?) we inevitably got to talking about CitySquares. As the conversation progressed and as we delved deeper into CitySquares, the business, he started to pick up on our themes about local businesses, mom-and-pops, Main Street USA. He expressed a strong interest and almost an intrigue in all of it, but not just from a business perspective, from a mission-oriented perspective - the Buy Local message. To begin the conversation I made sure to frame it in politically - I think that buying locally has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with just being a responsible citizen, no different than not polluting. He agreed.
After dinner we ended up a wine bar in the Upper West Wide called Wine & Roses. When we walked in, we were deep in the conversation, a friendly debate. We sat down at the bar right as I was trying to explain that consumer choice, in my opinion, is about three things:
Convenience: That is, what is closest to me or least interruptive to my day. Whether it’s a national chain or a local boutique, just give it to me quickly.
Budget: That is, I know how much I’m willing to pay, and no more. Whether it’s local, at a national brand, or online, I’m willing to take the time to find the best deal possible.
Community: I support my local mom-and-pop businesses, I believe they are essential to my community, and I value my relationship with them. I’m also aware of the economic benefits of buying locally.
It’s possible to have a hybrid of all three, of course, and most local businesses provide exactly that - convenience, affordability, and are actively part of their community. Redbones in Somerville’s Davis Square is a great example of this. They provide a quality product, excellent service, they are extremely convenient (they deliver this quality product on Redbones branded bicycles), and they are very active in the Somerville and Davis Square communities.
As we were discussing this and sat down at the bar, it happened to be next to the owner, Jennifer. I asked for her opinion on the topic and she more or less validated those three points with one major caveat - location. If you live in Manhattan, you have choices - lots and lots of choices. (But even that is changing, in a city like NY where you can’t walk three blocks without passing a national chain. It seems like the days of the local mom-and-pop are numbered in Manhattan.)
Anyway, the owner of this wine bar, Jennifer, explained that she was leaving for Arizona to see some family outside Mesa, and suggested that she is well aware that when she gets there she won’t have the same options and will certainly end up eating and buying at national chains. Now, she didn’t suggest this was a bad thing, or a good thing, but we all agreed that there is a reality in America where in some places consumers have choices about where to spend their money (the city) yet in others (Mesa, AZ) they just don’t.
Local businesses drive our national economy, this is a fact. They’re the oil in the nation’s economic engine. Local business is the best ingredient for any community’s success.
Anyway, to tie it all back together, and where we all seemed to agree last night, is on one simple but very important point - ultimately the consumers need to decide. That is very powerful. It doesn’t matter what political party you belong to, you surely still want the same things for your community, for your children, your family, and for your neighbors - your community. At CitySquares we really believe in this. It’s the mission behind the business. It all begins with the local businesses. Supporting your local and independent businesses is critical for your community’s sustainability.
To wrap it up, here is a brief illustration of what’s known as The Multiplier Effect, which is explained nicely in this brief video clip from an independent film called Independent America.
Ben Saren
Amber Killingsworth
Justin Leider
Michael LeBarron
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kimmyh
Phillip
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