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Tag: Customer Loyalty

Get the Word Out about Your Pizzeria

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Get the word out about your pizzeria

PMQ Pizza Magazine — The past few months have thrown a curveball at restaurant owners. While your restaurant may still be open for business—feeding locals, healthcare workers and others on the frontlines—the way you’re running your restaurant right now is probably not “business as usual.” Dine-in has taken a back seat to delivery and curbside takeout. Your cleanliness rating and cleaning procedures have become a topic of conversation. Maybe you changed your hours or revamped your products/services; some pizzerias are now offering take-home “build your own pizza” kits. You’re doing all you can to stay afloat through this unique time. But how will consumers know about your new offerings if you’re busy working in the kitchen with your scaled-down crew? Although posting this information online is encouraged, consumers will appreciate it if you proactively reach out to guide them. After all, consumer habits have changed due to fewer options and less commuting; many consumers are stressed and unsure of where to get a good meal. If your pizzeria can reach out during this time of uncertainty, not only will you gain new customers, you’ll help put food on families’ tables amidst a time of crisis, which will make a lasting impression. That’s what Our Town America is here for. Our Town America specializes in connecting local businesses with new customers. And through all the recent economic changes, a few things have remained the same: People appreciate a heartfelt message from a neighborhood business, and people are checking their mailboxes. Here are three of Our Town America’s many direct-mail avenues to consider: New Mover Marketing—Reach a new set of new movers in your community each month. Meaningful offers are always, but especially now, welcomed with open arms and grateful hearts. Saturation Postcards—Reach consumers based on neighborhoods, distance from your restaurant(s) or median household age or income. Hit every mailbox—no recipient list needed. Targeted Demographic Postcards—Reach a specific demographic or a group of prospects based on your criteria. With 48 years of marketing expertise, Our Town America will advise you on which option is best for your business. Our Town America knows that local businesses are the backbone of our communities. So, let them help you get the word out about your pizzeria. After all, that’s what they do best.       Source: Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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After Hurricane Florence WBTV Reports on Our Town America

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Hurricane Florence Assistance Good Neighbor Day Our Town America

WBTV Charlotte (September 2018) –Hurricane Florence flooded the Carolinas with a record-setting 24 inches of rainfall.   In fact, according to Moody’s Analytics, the total damage caused by Florence is estimated at $17-22 billion – making the hurricane one of the 10 costliest in history. Florence’s impact is, and will continue to be, devastating for tens of thousands of business owners throughout North and South Carolina who will spend months, potentially years, getting their lives – and businesses – back on track. This makes this year’s National Good Neighbor Day (September 28) more important than ever in Charlotte and other communities throughout the Carolinas.   And one local business owner, Jane McElhaney, is trying to make it an uplifting day for local business owners with the “Charlotte Small Biz Storm Response Squad.”   She will travel all over Charlotte on September 28th to surprise local business owners with balloons, food, gifts and a helping hand! McElhaney created the “Charlotte Small Biz Storm Response Squad” to thank small businesses for being fantastic neighbors every day of the year – creating jobs, providing goods, keeping our local economy chugging, etc. – and remind them that the local community has their back as they pick up the pieces post-Florence. President Jimmy Carter issued Proclamation 4601 in 1978 to recognize National Good Neighbor Day as a national holiday.   Carter’s reasoning was that “the noblest human concern is concern for others” and a sense of community is nurtured when everyone feels “part of a larger family.”   McElhaney’s mission is to ensure all local business owners know good neighbors are there for them in the wake of the storm. Watch video below for full story.   Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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Direct Mail Still Works: How To Use Tech To Elevate Traditional Marketing

Written by Michael Plummer, Jr.
Direct Mail Still Works: How To Use Tech To Elevate Traditional Marketing

Forbes — Direct mail may sound old-fashioned and outdated in today’s technological world, but if we only utilized new forms of advertising, there would be no Super Bowl ads — or TV ads, period (television has been airing for the masses since the 1940s). There would be no radio ads (America has been listening to radio programs since the 1920s). We wouldn’t do trade shows (those have been around since the 1800s). Even some modern-day marketing strategies are growing gray hairs, as email has been around since the early 1970s and internet advertising was launched in the 1990s. Direct mail — especially niche-based, targeted direct mail such as the new mover marketing program we offer at Our Town America — has endured because it works. Helping local businesses create valuable, long-term relationships by delivering thoughtful and personalized gift certificates direct to new mover doorsteps is what we do. It’s in our DNA. Sure, it’s old-school, print-based advertising, but it’s effective because it can reach a niche customer base when they’re interested in finding new, go-to solutions for everyday needs (groceries, hair care, restaurants, etc.). That’s the key to effective marketing, both online and offline: the ability to reach customers when they’re actively searching for answers. And in today’s world, technology plays a pivotal role in determining who those customers are and where/how they’re searching for solutions. You must always be open to embracing new technology — even if it’s in conjunction with an old-school form of advertising — that helps you efficiently reach and influence target audiences. So what if you own a direct mail company and know you need to evolve? Or perhaps you’re a business owner considering direct mail marketing and you want to be sure the company you choose “gets it.” Keep these three things in mind: Technology Is Still Essential To Key-In On Target Audiences Direct mail efforts without demographic-based strategies can be a waste of money. These days, you can use technology to pinpoint target audiences. If your core customer group is within two miles of your place of business, don’t send to a 10-mile radius. If your products are best-suited for senior citizens, don’t send offers to millennials. And if you want apartment dwellers, it’s silly to send direct mail to McMansions. Too many businesses throw money to the wind because they aren’t specific about reaching their core audiences at the right time. Technology affords us the ability to only send to specific zip codes, neighborhoods, etc. Create Human Connections With Customers Ready To Act … And Track Redemptions That is, when you send potential customers gift certificates to try out your business, include a tracking mechanism (like a QR or barcode on the certificate that you can scan). This should be done so that if they redeem your offer, you will know it’s being used. This also helps you secure their contact info, so you can follow up with an additional offer, thank them for being a customer and invite them back. All customers want to feel appreciated. But they don’t just want discounts or coupons — they want real, thoughtful offers (such as a free pizza, not just 10% off). That’s the key to inspiring action and increasing redemptions — getting them in the door when they’re ready to act and delivering an unbelievable in-store experience that keeps them coming back for years. This is the human factor of direct mail that technological advancements don’t compromise — the opportunity to send a real, tangible, personalized offer delivered directly to someone’s doorstep. Don’t Let Technological Advancements Scare You Away From Direct Mail Look, it’s easy to think that direct mail doesn’t work because everyone’s using the internet to find out where they’re going and what they’re buying. But that’s actually a reason direct mail could be beneficial. Potential customers can be overwhelmed by all the information they find online and don’t know where to turn. You’ve got that person’s mailbox, sometimes to yourself, and you can use technology as a facilitator to help connect with potential customers in a direct way. So it’s important to remember that technology is your friend. Implement tiny aspects of it to create a personal touch and avoid bombarding potential customers with emails and push notifications. The internet is a technological marvel, but everyone uses it. Seeing an ad on the internet is like looking at the night sky and picking out a favorite star. They all look the same after a while. But that’s where direct mail — if you use it properly — can separate your business from the crowd … especially when you’re using technology to elevate the reach and impact of direct mail programs. And, besides, as the saying goes: Everything old is new again!   Michael Plummer, Jr.Michael Plummer, Jr. is Our Town America’s President and CEO. Michael strategically leads Our Town America while maintaining our core principals of connecting new residents to the local businesses in their communities. www.ourtownamerica.com […]

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Using attractively designed mail pieces for prospective customers.

Written by John Guerra
Direct Mail Marketing

Get Higher Response Rates with Direct Mail Marketing. When business owners reach out to new customers in their communities, they turn to direct mail marketing. It is effective and relatively inexpensive, compared to other forms of advertising, such as radio and television. What is Direct Mail Marketing? Direct mail marketing is the use of attractively designed mail pieces – from postcards to brochures to catalogs and everything in between – which are mailed directly to the homes of prospective customers. Business owners usually choose standard direct mail, which blankets the entire ZIP Code, sending ad pieces to every address regardless of who lives there. This can be more expensive and less effective than New Mover Marketing, which targets new residents. How Does Direct Mail Marketing Work? Our Town America mails a welcome package containing gift certificates from local businesses to the homes of new residents, allowing you to reach a unique and profitable customer base. We obtain an accurate and timely list of new addresses and mail the welcome package only to those addresses every month. Direct Mail Marketing Campaign – Get Higher Response Rates Here are just a few reasons why mailing to unique addresses every month provides a higher response rate than standard direct marketing: When people move to a new town or neighborhood, they must find new local businesses to create their new network of resources. Our welcome packages direct new movers to our partnered businesses locations. New residents spend five times as much as established residents in the 12 months after they move in. New residents are very receptive to Our Town America’s decorative welcome package, which contains housewarming gift certificates from local businesses. The businesses gift certificates are specifically designed to create customer response. New mover campaigns can be designed to attract new customers. From free pizza to discounted kitchen supplies, homeowners will redeem gift certificates for products and services they need. Marketing studies show that 80 percent of new movers redeem gift certificates from local vendors. Why Our Town America for your Direct Mail Marketing Campaign? Our Town America’s New Mover Marketing program has been refined for more than 45 years. By obtaining the most accurate new mover address lists available, we help businesses save money and gain new, loyal customers who are uniquely positioned to respond to your marketing campaigns. Let us help you welcome new families to the neighborhood! John GuerraJohn is a guest blogger for Our Town America and previously worked in national sales at our Clearwater, FL corporate headquarters. www.ourtownamerica.com […]

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Franchisee Success: Scot and Amy Hecht, Treasure Valley, ID

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Our Town America in Boise, Idaho

Our Town America provided an opportunity for our entire family What do you cherish the most? Is it job security? Is it a clear path to retirement? Is it more time with family? Is it quality of life? For Scot and Amy Hecht, it’s “all of the above,” and then some. They are the parents of two young sons and the proud owners of Our Town America Treasure Valley in Meridian, Idaho. That’s just outside of Boise, and for the Hechts, right in the middle of everything they wanted in their lives – especially now that they’re thriving as franchise owners with Our Town America, the nation’s first and fastest growing new mover marketing franchise. The couple moved to Idaho’s Treasure Valley to escape the rigors, headaches and the ceaseless rat race that came from living in Southern California. “We wanted to improve our quality of life as we prepared to start our family,” says Scot. “Meridian gave us access to everything we wanted, camping, hiking, anything dealing with the great outdoors, on top of a slower pace of life.” Both Scot and Amy bring an extensive sales background to their Our Town America franchise. Scot, a graduate of San Diego State University, has worked in sales for his entire career since graduating. “I worked with several small businesses, startup businesses and family businesses, mainly doing outside sales for my professional life before Our Town America.” Amy worked with 2 Fortune 500 companies after graduating from Ohio State University. “For the first three years of my professional career, I worked in sales and I was great at it,” says Amy. “But it wasn’t intrinsically fulfilling; I lost the passion for it after three years doing it.” Amy found that passion as an educator. She first taught middle school science and math, before spending most of her teaching career in elementary schools. It was Amy’s educational background, that allowed the newly married Hechts to make the bold move from stable jobs in Southern California to the uncertainty waiting for them in Idaho. “Neither one of us had jobs waiting for us in Meridian,” says Amy. “All we had was one another and our belief that we were making the right move for ourselves and our future family.” It’s the belief in one another that makes Scot and Amy the perfect couple. When Scot was ready to make the leap to become an entrepreneur, it was Amy who proved to be his biggest cheerleader. “My wife was the person who encouraged me the most to have the confidence and make the investment in myself,” said Scot. After years of working for others, Scot was ready to invest in himself. “I was tired of working hard and making money for others,” Scot says. “I wanted to stop making money for other people and make money for myself. I knew I had the skills, drive and motivation to do it. Also, I knew with Amy having a stable public-sector job, I had a built-in safety net. Amy and I did a great job absolving all debt and putting enough in savings to make sure I could take the risk. Worst-case scenario, if I tried and failed, I knew we would still be able to pay the mortgage and feed the family.” Scot had strict criteria when searching for a franchise,  including no inventory, no real estate, no employees and no suppliers. Scot was referred to Our Town America and was quickly sold. “Our Town America is an established brand with a successful track record,” says Scot, who adds, “I haven’t looked back.” With his sales background fueling his new business, Scot experienced immediate success, landing a large grocery chain as one of his first clients. While Scot was succeeding with the new business, Amy, his biggest backer, was toiling through the daily grind that comes with teaching. “I love helping my students, you’re changing kids’ lives,” says Amy. “However, the long hours associated with teaching are ridiculous and began to wear me down. My family was suffering, I was suffering, and the work-life balance was lacking.” Scot wanted a company that required no employees. He wasn’t getting an employee when Amy decided to join his efforts. He was getting a partner. A partner who had the knack and business acumen that would take the already thriving business to the next level. Amy had experienced success during her previous run at sales. Working with Our Town America was like riding a bike. “Teaching is all about relationships and so is sales,” Amy says. “This is about helping people. In this case, I’m helping welcome people to the community. I’m also helping introduce businesses of all sizes in our community to new customers. I’m changing lives, changing the community and making people moving into Treasure Valley feel more comfortable.” Our Town America’s business model is the perfect fit for Meridian, Boise and all of Treasure Valley. In 2015, Meridian topped USA Today’s best cities to live in rankings. More recently, Money placed the town in its top 50 Best Place to Live in 2017.   This growth makes Boise/Meridian a fantastic place to be an Our Town America owner and helped Scot and Amy secure two fantastic TV features – this one, when they first got started, and another recent feature showcasing how they give back to sponsors over the holidays. “The Treasure Valley is a perfect fit for our business,” says Scot. “When we moved here, it was a small town, now it is growing at a phenomenal pace. It’s a hidden gem that people from across America are discovering. That’s good for the Our Town America business since we’re based on new movers. It ensures longevity for my business. Selfishly, I miss the small town feel that drew us here in the first place.” The rush of new movers will assist Amy in her arduous task to land 60 new accounts in six months. “I want 100 accounts,” says Amy. “We started with 48 […]

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Get Your New Mover Mailing List Now

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Our Town America New Mover List of New Residents

Target new residents and new homeowners with our proprietary mail lists Our company’s New Mover Marketing program, powered by our unparalleled new mover lists, is an effective strategy for your local advertising and marketing. You’re always searching for new customers ready to purchase your products and services. When new movers settle into their new neighborhoods, with their normal buying patterns disrupted, that’s your opportunity to earn a lifetime customer with our direct mail lists! New movers spend more money outfitting new homes and establishing new shopping habits than existing residents spend in five years. Because they’re new to the area, new residents and new homeowners don’t have favorite barbershops yet, for example, or grocery stores, car dealerships, dental offices, pet stores, or other everyday needs. To reach this audience with an accurate and timely mailing for your local marketing and advertising, contact us about our New Mover Marketing program now! Our direct mail company can manage your local postcard marketing campaigns as well. Tell us your ideas and we’ll design, print and mail your postcards. We can use the mailing list you provide, mail to a certain demographic area, or we can develop a mailing list with specific demographics. Choose an experienced new mover marketing company to run your local advertising and marketing How does our direct mail marketing company ensure that our new resident and new homeowner lists are accurate and up-to-date? We’ve been helping businesses gain loyal customers for over 50 years. Many marketing companies around the country claim to be specialists in local direct mail marketing, but as many as 80% have been in business for less than three years. We’ve helped tens of thousands of local businesses turbo-charge their local advertising and marketing by introducing themselves to new homeowners and new residents in the neighborhood. When partnering with us, you can use our direct mail marketing programs broken down by multiple ZIP Codes, single ZIP Code, carrier route, and other demographics useful to your business. Rely on new mover lists backed up by decades of managed data Our direct marketing company has half a century of experience in new mover history and data management. Local businesses can be assured that our new resident lists are effective in successfully targeting new families looking to buy goods and services, as mailing lists can be matched against previous lists – and previous successes with currently active customer bases. We collect and store data from up to 11 sources nationwide each month. This gives local businesses the comfort of knowing that our company’s new mover lists are timely, clean and accurate. That same care and experience transfer into our postcard marketing programs as well. How we ensure that our direct mail lists are the best Our New Mover Marketing program begins with an empty name file, and nationally recognized suppliers provide us with new mover intelligence, which identifies individuals and families who have filed an address change in the past 30 days. We receive millions of names, addresses, and other data for new residents each month. Sources of new mover information vary by community and part of the country, but data sources usually include deed transactions, credit cards, utility connections, credit bureau records, magazines, driver’s licenses or voter registration lists. A change of address does not necessarily indicate a move, though, which is why we process our data through our proprietary system to identify and eliminate potential errors. How our direct mail marketing company cleanses data The long list of addresses is standardized for postal validation. We go through the list again and remove any redundancies. That’s because the typical mover communicates up to eleven sources of his or her address change. We remove duplicate addresses to ensure that the same business doesn’t mail to the same address for at least six months. We compare every name to our historical database of 350 million households. Our Town America will never mail to the same name and address twice. The list undergoes final postal verification with the United States Postal Service. We are well-known in the New Mover Marketing industry as having direct mail lists with close to 100% accuracy To reach near-perfection, we discard as much as 60% of the names and addresses we receive. Businesses are wise to find the most accurate list of new residents before sending direct mail pieces to potential customers. Is the envelope addressed to the wrong family? Is it being mailed to an old address? How much of your local marketing budget can you afford to waste? Accurate lists increase a business’ return on investment, saving money and time. And our direct mail marketing company is known for our clean lists to help build customer bases for businesses just like yours. Period. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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Franchisee Success: Susan Nagi, Phoenix and Las Vegas

Written by Brittany N. Johnson
Susan Nagi Our Town America The Valley

Susan Nagi Turned a Vacation into a Career as Las Vegas’ New Mover Marketing Expert A trip to Las Vegas traditionally ends with cherished memories, some keepsakes and more often than not, a little less cash. Susan Nagi is bucking that trend. Nagi is the owner of a Phoenix-area Our Town America franchise and recently launched a brand-new franchise in Vegas. As an experienced franchisee of Our Town America , the nation’s fastest growing New Mover Marketing franchise, Nagi knows this isn’t a gamble – launching in Sin City is a well-calculated investment. A good chunk of Nagi’s youth was spent traveling. She was born in London, to parents who loved to explore, so she lived in multiple countries throughout her childhood years. “I lived in England, Greece, Germany, over in Europe as well as Texas here in the states before my parents decided to settle in Hawaii,” says Nagi. She’s kept her parents’ adventurous spirit ever since. Her decision to buy an Our Town America franchise was spawned practically by chance. “I bought my first franchise three and a half years ago after meeting a franchise consultant,” says Nagi. “We initially met on a social level and while I wasn’t completely sold on buying a franchise, I took her franchise matching personality profile anyway.” Nagi was apprehensive because in her head, a franchise equated to a chain pizza joint. She had already had an experience with pizza, as she helped run a mom and pop pizza joint in her teenage years. Years later, at 35 years old, tragedy struck when Nagi’s mother passed away. So, with inheritance in hand, Nagi purchased a Recreational Vehicle and embarked on a trek across the continental U.S. Part of that trip involved joining the carnival during the winter months in Florida. For a few seasons, she traveled with the carnival as the office manager. When that came to an end, Nagi found herself back in Hawaii. With the move, she found love and marriage. The pair moved to Phoenix, where she landed a job working for a printing company. “I thought I was on the verge of being a working stiff,” she says. Thankfully, she decided to take that personality test. It ended up changing her life. That test revealed Our Town America matched her skillset. She decided to push her chips into the middle of the metaphorical table. “I lacked the money to buy a franchise,” says Nagi. “Some stars aligned, some words were said, the timing was right, so I jumped in with both feet. I cashed in my IRA and took out the biggest personal loan I could.” The dive into entrepreneurship wasn’t always smooth as her first six months owning Our Town America The Valley were tough. “In the beginning, my sales skills and confidence level were in serious need of improvement,” she says. “Those two things I thought you either have or don’t have, and I thought I was in way over my head.   Thankfully, things have changed!” Instead of clamming up, Nagi opened up, and reached out to improve her situation. She credits a professional sales coach and the book, You’re a Badass by Jen Sincero for a powerful transformation. “I learned skills to help me sell, but more importantly, changed my mindset as to what I am capable of,” says Nagi. “You have to shut down the inner-critic that so many people have grown up with. There are so many amazing people in the world, who are there to help, collaborate, teach and learn from. When you find them, hang on tight. Walk away from those who don’t help or don’t believe you can achieve your dreams and goals.” With the inner-critic conquered, she was on a newfound path to success with Our Town America. 13 months into her ownership, Nagi was number one in sales for a new franchisee. She hasn’t looked back. It was a class reunion that originally brought her to Las Vegas. It turned out the trip wasn’t all pleasure. The businesswoman discovered Las Vegas was America’s third fastest growth area. Now, she’s among those transplants. Nagi has a goal to make her Las Vegas Our Town America the largest producing franchise within the next two years. “I’m a proponent of the ‘law of attraction’ concept,” says Nagi. “I am so convinced that what comes around, goes around. The universe provides every opportunity you can think of if you are just open enough to see it, and act on it. Live fully, love fiercely and be a good human.” Do you want to realize your own business ownership dreams, like Susan Nagi?   Does the Our Town America franchise opportunity sound like it could be for you?   If so, learn more at https://www.ourtownamerica.com/franchise-us/. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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Our Town America Tampa and Fort Myers Give Hurricane Irma Relief Checks

Written by Brittany N. Johnson

Local Businesses Receive Relief Checks from Our Town America November 2017 – Hurricane Irma was projected to cost the US an estimated $172 billion worth of damage – including the devastating spoiled food product and revenue losses suffered by countless local restaurant owners in Florida. Power outages shut down restaurants all over town for a week or longer following the storm, costing restaurant owners, and their employees, tens of thousands of dollars. This inspired Michael Plummer Jr., CEO of Our Town America – a national New Mover Marketing company headquartered in Clearwater – to host a Hurricane Irma Facebook fundraiser that raised more than $2000, all raised by their very own corporate employees and franchisees. Our Town America divvied up the money equally (roughly $500 for each) to four Florida businesses who needed a post-hurricane boost – Jets Pizza in Dunedin, Brix 33 and Ice Cream Palace in New Port Richey, and Great Clips in Fort Myers – after losing a combined $40,000+ in spoiled food and potential revenues. Our Town America’s Tampa-area franchise owners, Mike and Julie Fisher,  as well as Fort Myers franchisee, Sally Hanson, personally visited their partnered businesses to give them their checks. Brittany N. JohnsonBrittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations. […]

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Shop Small Business – 7 Reasons To Shop Small

Written by John Guerra
7 Reasons to Shop Small by Our Town America

Shop Small to find unique things, while supporting your local economy In the 1920s and 1930s, cities and towns from the Appalachians to the Pacific Northwest had a busy shopping district, with independently owned businesses like shoes stores, clothing stores, jewelers, barbershops and other establishments serving the locals. A couple decades later, in the 1950s, the interstate highway system routed traffic away from downtown America, which led to the construction of shopping malls near exit ramps. This drained the commerce from downtowns. In the last 15 years, the explosion of e-commerce hurt shopping malls and big box stores the way highways harmed small-town shopping districts. Small Business Saturday, launched in November of 2010, has become a great way to support small business owners in your local town or neighborhood. The “Shop Small” program supports local economies and promotes vibrant, diverse communities, but there are other practical reasons to shop locally every day, not just on Small Business Saturday: 1) Small businesses give back to the community When you spend money in your neighborhood, your sales tax stays in your neighborhood. You help fund public education, parks, and street improvements, not to mention vital services like firefighting and mosquito control. 2) Local store owners create local jobs The Small Business Administration reports that local businesses added 8 million jobs to the American economy since 1990 while the expansion of large chains reduced jobs by 4 million. 3) Local owners buy local services themselves Independent local businesses go into their local community to buy the supporting services they need, including architects, designers, cabinet shops, sign makers and contractors for construction and accountants and lawyers to keep themselves operating within the guardrails. 4) Local establishments provide great customer service Business owners rely on great customer service to build a loyal customer base, so it is comforting to know you will be shopping in a store that is genuinely happy to assist you. 5) Small businesses create a sense of community Human beings seek a feeling of belonging and familiarity in the towns in which they live. It is only natural to seek connections with those we share our neighborhoods with. It’s always a comforting feeling to see that poster of the local Little League team in the coffee shop window. 6) It feels good to help neighbors and friends succeed There’s something special about knowing the owner of the store when you walk in. You can ask about family, congratulate them on their anniversary, and feel the comfort of familiarity. 7) It’s about preserving the community The American Independent Business Alliance has another great reason to shop locally: “The disappearance of local businesses leaves a social and economic void that is palpable and real — even when it goes unmeasured,” AIBA says. “A community’s quality of life changes in ways that macroeconomics is slow to measure, or ignores completely.” We hope you’ll shop locally year-round, as well as on Small Business Saturday, and when you’re visiting those businesses, make sure to thank the owner for keeping his or her doors open. After all, small businesses are what built America, one neighborhood at a time. John GuerraJohn is a guest blogger for Our Town America and previously worked in national sales at our Clearwater, FL corporate headquarters. www.ourtownamerica.com […]

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