This is a guest post about one of the sponsors of the FamousBloggers CommentLuv $3550 CASH PRIZES Blogging Contest by Stephanie Suesan Smith. Stephanie is a Master Gardener who offers gardening advice based on years of experience and extensive course training.
Businesses talk about the importance of buying local. The internet and big box stores make buying globally tempting. Local Proud is a turnkey business model that teaches a business owner how to develop a local marketing co-op.
This model provides all the know-how, you provide the work. The model calls for local businesses to give a discount to consumers who display a card during check-out. The discounts are set by the merchants and can be changed at will. Merchants who do not offer discounts but want to participate can buy advertising on the back of the perks card consumers carry. Essentially, the perks card is a way to provide coupons to consumers without the hassle of printing and processing coupons.
The work part is convincing merchants that being part of this network will benefit them. You build the network. One thing you can tell them is that 70% of the money people spend locally stays locally.
The elements you get with your purchase of this turnkey system are the perks cards, a consumer website that lists all the deals, a merchant site for the merchants to change any deals when needed, signs for the businesses that honor the card, a smart phone ap for consumers who do not want to carry the card but want the benefits, and television shows and commercials. You buy the system for a low cost, then take it and run.
If you are ready to start your own discount card business, you can contact Local Proud now. They have great support and are always ready to help you. Start a business, save local merchants, build community. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Speaking of building community, please comment on my post on the quest for comments at Famous Blogger for the contest. I would really appreciate it.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Call me skeptical, but there is already a saturation of these types of discount programs.
I suppose this would work in a community where nobody has started a similar venture with local businesses. Here in Sacramento, its already been done many times!
Twitter: @localproud
Thank you for the comment. The bottom line is Local Proud is different that other cimilar programs you may be familiar with. Please check out our Merchants Site http://merchants.localproud.com/merchants/ and our Resellers site http://resell.localproud.com/ to learn why Local Proud is different.
At face value, all discount programs are the same – the difference is in the model and the brand itself – just saying the name “Local Proud” makes me feel something and that is what supporting Local is truly all about!
Twitter: @colleenlane
Sadly, this type of program would not work in our area. Folks here assume because ya live here, ya buy here, irregardless of the steep pricing. A little arrogant if you ask me, and they wonder why folks are not buying locally.
.-= Colleen@Kennewick Homes´s featured blog ..Annual Prosser Fly-In and Show at Prosser Airport =-.
Twitter: @lambdakennels1
Well, it may not work for highly developed areas, but I live in a rural area. I can see the businesses doing something like this in their efforts to revitalize downtown.
.-= stephaniesuesansmith´s featured blog ..ComLuv-FamousBloggers Contest Benefits Garden Bloggers =-.
Twitter: @localproud
I appreciate your reply – Very soon we will be launching in your area and our licensee there will do a great job. The funny thing is that this program will work everywhere, even in the big cities. We’ve signed on in Philadelphia, Cincinnati San Antonio and many other cities so we are excited to launch in the Kennewick area…
My suggestion to you Colleen would be jump on board as a sponsor – being in the Real Estate business for years myself, I know the value of building a name. Local Proud makes people feel something positive by just saying the name – now imagine having your name associated with that positive feeling…
Good luck!
Wow, if this is the way it works then I am in for it. Really need help right now with my friend’s club business.
Any read is worth it.
Twitter: @lambdakennels1
Well, try this, may help.
Businesses talk about the importance of buying local. The internet and big box stores make buying globally tempting. Local Proud is a turnkey business model that teaches a business owner how to develop a local marketing co-op.
Thats so cool. Local businesses should definitely stick together. Im glad I found this information. Thanks
Twitter: @localproud
Thanks Craig! You touch on a great point about buying globally – Our country needs to be about buying from our locally owned businesses and being a Local Proud business or a Licensee of Local Proud will keep our dollars in our local communities longer!
Twitter: @kaiserthesage
I’ve seen a lot of discount card business models like this before, where some are built by strong alliances of big local companies. But making something like this for the small ones and specifically for a small community, I guess that would really work. That’s quite healthy for each business included within the circle, knowing that their targeted market is not that out of reach. the system is a good idea (very well made for local businesses) and can be really helpful to consumers as well.
Twitter: @localproud
Thanks for the comment Jason!
Local Proud has now been licensed in 24 cities across Amercia and growing – we should be sitting at 30 by week’s end. We have it in big and smaller cities alike and so far, our licensees are telling us that the business communities are really excited about Local Proud.
I know everyone thinks that their card programs are unique however ours truly is. We use recycled paper for our cards. The cards are free to consumers (most discount programs consumers have to buy the discounts), ours is a co-op advertising program where all businesses particpiating are a distribution point plus so much more. Not to mention it’s building “Entrepreneurship” across the country which is what our economy needs right now.
Keep checking us out, youre bound to hear even greater news!
Nice idea!
guess having a co-op kinda thing is will help people and what is what feels good!
thanks for sharing your ideas.
.-= Jenny@ MS Small Business Resources´s featured blog ..Jul 12- Small Business Plan Outline =-.
Twitter: @lambdakennels1
That is the idea, that it will help local businesses and everybody wins.
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