Stay Local! News
Campaign In New Orleans To "Stay Local" During Holiday Season
NEW ORLEANS—
While the Black Friday ads have lured in the masses for big sales, local merchants in New Orleans hope shoppers will consider buying some presents in the city.
There are many shops across the area, like Baba Blankets and Gifts in the Lower Garden District ready to provide unique gifts to people. It sells items hand crafted by women from across the globe.
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Chonchol Gupta & Xavier Cabo of Rebirth Financial
Could you imagine New Orleans without her small businesses? Just a vast land of corporations and big businesses with no ties to or knowledge of the people or culture. Luckily, however, New Orleans is an oasis for small businesses. Whether you’re making healthy beverages like Renee Brown of Bayou Brew Wellness Tea, writing love notes to the city like Robert Fogarty of Dear New Orleans, or creating your own fashion line like Ayo Scott of NOYO Designs, us New Orleanians love to have things that are all our own.
Why AmEx Wants You to "Buy Local"
So far, independent businesses appear receptive to the credit-card company’s marketing campaign. “There’s bad co-opting and there’s good corporate co-opting, and I definitely read this as good corporate co-opting,” says Dana Eness, executive director of the Urban Conservancy in New Orleans, which runs the city’s Stay Local project. Eness and Milchen say they do not consider the effort “local-washing,” the way they characterize national chains’ attempts to encourage shopping at their stores under the banner of supporting the local economy.
NOLA's Urban Conservancy Acts As Conduit to BPs Oil Spill-Affected
The Urban Conservancy in New Orleans was designed to preserve historic landmarks in the city. But since its genesis in 2001, the community it serves has been rocked by two of the biggest environmental, economic and human tragedies in US history so the non-profit has evolved accordingly. Read more
New Marketing Tool Convinces Shoppers to Stay Local
Stay Local magazine is helping local businesses to stay afloat in the slumping economy. Read more
To Beat Recession, Indies Launch Buy-Local Push
Stay Locall! is one of dozens of “buy local” campaigns across the United States banding together to encourage consumers to shop nearby independents. See slide show featuring Stay Local! and other successful buy-local campaigns nationwide. Recognize the “Eat Here or We Both Go Hungry” sign? It’s outside Elizabeth’s Restaurant and says it all.
"Rising from Ruins" Film Trailer
Filmmaker Hanson Hosein says: “I’m less than two thirds of the way through shooting the documentary, “Independent America: Rising from Ruins.” But in today’s world of social media and the neverending conversation, it’s best to start “selling the message” even when you’re still a work-in-progress. And the people of New Orleans have a powerful message to tell.”
Thinking Outside the Big Box
Locally owned businesses have been critical in our city’s recovery. Many reopened within days of the storm while corporate chains nervously kept their distance. Now that federal recovery money is trickling in, big retailers are courting local politicians and scoring the sort of tax incentives our local businesses can only dream about.
MEDIA ALERT: 2nd Annual Sustainability Summit for Local Small Businesses
“Survival and sustainable growth is dependent on all of us working together, neighborhood by neighborhood, business by business,” said Carmen Sunda, Director of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center of Greater New Orleans. “This summit is about working smarter and being prepared.”
Cash That's Spent Here, Stays Here
“That’s what’s known as the local premium, when the dollars continue to revolve within the local economy,” Eness said. “That’s the part we need to educate folks about. Their dollars can make a larger economic impact depending on where they shop.”
Stay Local! is a city-wide initiative for creating strong economies based on locally owned and operated businesses. We encourage consumers to shop locally and help independent businesses compete more effectively. more…
In New Orleans…
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