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News-Sun photo by KATARA SIMMONS Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Eileen May (left), Avon Park Chamber of Commerce CEO David Greenslade (center) and Sebring Chamber of Commerce interim president Sarah Pallone talk to local media Tuesday about ideas to stimulate the local economy.

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published: Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Chambers want local shoppers to stay local

By CHRISTOPHER TUFFLEY

christopher.tuffley@newssun.com

SEBRING -- The three leaders of the county's three chambers of commerce gathered in Sebring Tuesday morning to launch a new coordinated program aimed at helping local consumers spend their money at local businesses.

The chambers' action is the result of their concern over the unstable economy, the business pressures on their members, and the growing number of empty store fronts.

"Now more than ever," Eileen May, chief executive officer of Lake Placid's chamber, said, "we have to take a pro-active approach and support our local merchants. These are tough times. We need to work as a team."

"There is no reason for someone to drive out of Highlands County to shop," Sarah Pallone, the interim president of Sebring's chamber, added. "We have people paying $4 a gallon to drive out of county."

Which is why the program is called "Be Smart." Each municipality will add its own name -- as in "Be Smart, Shop Avon Park" -- but the key is to promote the businesses of Highlands County.

"We share a lot of members," David Greenslade, CEO of Avon Park's chamber, said. "It makes sense to team up. We'll help you find what you need."

The chamber presidents hope larger local businesses, especially those that shop in bulk outside the county, or even region, look closer to home for standard supplies or services.

For example, hiring a local sign company instead of bringing in a business from Tampa; or ordering office supplies from a local dealer, instead of online.

If companies are shopping online in order to save delivery costs, Pallone pointed out that many local businesses also deliver, and a good portion of them will do it at no cost.

Which leads to another purpose of the program -- to raise awareness about what is available in the county.

All three chambers pledge to become information centers, helping to link one local company's need with another local company's offering.

Greenslade, May and Pallone all hope local businesses cooperate in the same way. They emphasized the importance of businesses knowing about their neighbors.

For example, if an attorney or a dress shop is located near a candle shop, burning a fragrant candle from that shop could lead to a referral and sale.

The idea is that helping one helps all.

Greenslade said that dollars spent locally often reverberate throughout the economy, helping other businesses and individuals as well.

In order to raise awareness, the chambers have developed an advertising campaign involving discount coupon books.

Each chamber will have its own book of local business coupons, but each chamber will distribute all three coupon books.

Merchants, service providers, and other businesses may buy a coupon for $150. The first coupon books will only have room for 20 participants in each.

All the coupons will remain active for three months -- October, November, December -- and be available to the public through the different chambers' newsletters and at all three offices, as well as at participating businesses.

If the idea catches on, new coupon books can be made to keep pace.

Further down the line the chambers hope to create pledge cards, where local businesses formally agree to spend 80 (or whatever) percent of their procurement budget locally. The chambers also want to create decals that businesses could display in their windows, showing them supporters of the program.

Order forms for printing a coupon in the book will be inserted into the August chamber newsletters. A business has to be a member of the chamber to take part. The offer to sign up expires Sept. 1. The books themselves will come out in October.

The coupons may be used by anyone who wants to spend money.