Thanks to Love Your City, we’re celebrating Earth Day with business owners and other catalysts of change in New Orleans. Check out the event details at loveyourcity.us/campaigns

Join us for an insightful session on 'AI-powered engagement,' where we delve into the transformative potential of ChatGPT for the independent business owner. Discover practical strategies and engage in real-world exercises live during the talk to harness the power of conversational AI, elevating your business interaction to new heights.

Presenter Sam Olmstead will provide insight as well as lead excercises during the webinar. Participants are encouraged to sign up for a Chat GPT account prior to the event.

As the New Orleans Managing Director of Online Optimism, Sam has a proven track record in spearheading successful marketing campaigns, building business relationships, and enhancing team productivity. With prior roles in marketing giants like IPG Mediabrands and Momentum Worldwide, Sam has developed unique strategies for Fortune 500 companies and globally recognized brands. Sam is an expert at using AI in his marketing efforts and has spoken about the topic at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week and the Society of Marketing Professional Services' annual conference, among other places.  

Sam is also a board member of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute, the American Marketing Association (NOLA Chapter), and The Green Project, a Green Wave Innovation Network Mentor for Tulane University, and a New Orleans Chamber of Commerce Ambassador.

Register here

Join the communities throughout Greater New Orelans to highlight holiday shopping at local businesses on November 25th for Small Business Saturday!

This annual celebration of independent businesses is also a national shopping event (after Black Friday and before Cyber Monday) that encourages consumers to shop local. This year on November 25th, millions of Americans across the country will set out to shop for holiday gifts and #ShopSmall.

Learn more about the independent shops, retailers at pop-ups and markets, and restaurants offering deals and festivities by heading to staylocal.org/shoplocal.

Want to better understand how your choice to shop local supports our community on November 25th, and beyond? Check out staylocal.org/why-local.

The Urban Conservancy has announced its 2023 Urban Heroes honorees, three individuals who have been instrumental in shaping our vision for a vibrant and resilient New Orleans. 

“We've been honoring our Urban Heroes since 2011. They are people who lead with their hearts and inspire others to do the same,” says Dana Eness, Urban Conservancy's executive director. “Our honorees this year are revolutionizing environmental stewardship in groundbreaking ways that intersect with the Urban Conservancy’s core values of  action, equity and sustainability. We are thrilled to celebrate these passionate New Orleanians and elevate their important work through this event.”

The Urban Conservancy proudly recognizes this year’s Urban Heroes: 

Dinah Maygarden, Director, UNO - Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences Coastal Education Program

Karen Marshall, Director of Professional Development, STEM Library Lab; Science Curriculum Coordinator and Director of Field Experiences, Krewe of Red Beans; Assistant Marine Educator, LUMCON

Sage Michael Pellet, Climate Justice Organizer, Healthy Gulf

Please join us for our Urban Heroes Luncheon! Tickets are available here.

Date: Friday, October 6th

Time:11:30AM – 1:30PM

Location: Walnut Room, Lakefront Airport 6001 Stars and Stripes Blvd | New Orleans LA 70126

“You Think You Know Local?” is our local business- and brands- themed trivia night. Trivia questions will spotlight iconic New Orleans businesses, historic brands and their founders as well as local lore across broader categories. 

By supporting home-grown businesses, New Orleanians and visitors connect with our city’s history, neighborhoods and innovators. The trivia competition is part of StayLocal’s summer campaign to celebrate independent businesses. StayLocal strengthens the environment for locally owned businesses to thrive by connecting businesses to customers and to one another. 

Trivia will be hosted by Biz New Orleans writer and podcaster Rich Collins. This event is made possible with the support of Carrollton Station, Biz New Orleans Magazine, Energy Smart New Orleans, LCI Workers’ Comp, Parkway Bakery and Tavern, Precision Payment Systems and the Urban Conservancy.  

If you know you are coming, register ahead here!

Event Details:

What: StayLocal’s “You Think You Know Local” Biz Trivia Night

Who: Open to the public (18 and up),  $10 team donation suggested

Where: Carrollton Station, 8140 Willow St.

When: Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at 6 pm (registration starts at 5:30 pm)

Cost: Suggested $10 donation to play

Office Hours are free consultations with local business experts including marketing pros, business growth strategists, specialists in digital growth, reducing operating costs and more. Office Hours "speed meetings" are 20 minutes long and take place back-to-back (to-back-to-back) in time slots between 8:30 - 10 am. 

Office Hours are open to local business owners, entrepreneurs, microbusinesses and the self-employed intent on sourcing local from New Orleans’ knowledgebase.

When you register for Office Hours, we’ll share profiles of the independent business owner subject matter experts with whom you'll meet, so you can make the most of your speed meetings.

To register to attend the upcoming session on June 13 please click here. This is a free event with registration priority given to StayLocal member businesses.

Interested in being an expert matched with businesses? Contact StayLocal Program Manager Maryann Miller at (504) 252-1259. This event is made possible with the support of GREENHOUSE Workspace, Precision Payment Systems, EnergySmart, Parkway Bakery and Tavern, LCI Workers Comp, and the Urban Conservancy.

Join us for a virtual, one hour morning workshop hosted by SBA.

StayLocal’s Brianna Cunningham and Maryann Miller will discuss low cost digital marketing strategies which:

• help customers choose local businesses first

• increase engagement

• enlarge your digital footprint.

Register through the SBA at https://www.sba.gov/event/11967

The Algiers Bonfire is Algiers’ largest, free, public event and pays tribute to Louisiana’s river parish bonfire tradition. Listen to musical performances, eat food from local vendors, and shop at the holiday craft market. The star of the event is the 30’ sculptural bonfire, designed by NOLA Burners, set ablaze.

Easily accessible by RTA lines, near to the Algiers ferry terminal and set against the New Orleans’ skyline StayLocal is proud to participate in this unique holiday event. The Homemade in Algiers holiday market, presented in partnership with Bounyful Market, adds gift shopping to the night’s festivities.

Performances by The Young Pinstripe Brass Band, the Edna Karr Marching Band, and others will set the scene for a holiday event done New Orleans style! 

Together, we make a big impact when we #ShopSmall. Join the celebration by shopping at local, independent shops and restaurants all day on Saturday, November 26, 2022. Small Business Saturday is the Saturday that follows Thanksgiving Day.

When consumers make the choice to #ShopSmallNOLA, purchases have 3x the impact since funds recirculate in the local economy longer.

See our Guide to Local Gifts and Events here.

Our Think You Know Local? local business- and brands- themed trivia night takes place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on July 7 at Port Orleans Brewing Company, 4124 Tchoupitoulas Street. The trivia questions at the event will spotlight iconic New Orleans businesses, historic brands and their founders as well as local lore across broader categories. 

The trivia competition is part of StayLocal’s summer campaign to celebrate independent businesses just as American independence is honored every year.  This year’s event is supported by Biz New Orleans Magazine and features Biz’s own Rich Collins as trivia night host.

Registration will begin at 6 p.m. and the trivia competition begins at 6:30 p.m. The event is open to the public. Teams of four are asked to make a $10 suggested donation to play; teams composed of StayLocal member businesses can enter into a bonus round.

Trivia night is a more-the-merrier event, but letting us know you are coming helps with planning. Register here.

Celebrate American Independents

In July, StayLocal is joining the American Independent Business Alliance and U.S. partners to recognize locally owned businesses for their spirit of entrepreneurship and character during Independents Week.

If you're an indie biz that would like to participate by offering a promotion or deal, tell us what you plan and we'll spread the word. Submit a promotion here.

We’re celebrating New Orleans’ spirit of independents with Think You Know Local? trivia night.

Register for free consultations with local business experts including marketing pros, business strategists, human resource specialists, merchant services consultants, digital growth strategists and more.

StayLocal is hosting speed meetings to encourage local businesses to source products and services from other Greater New Orleans area independent businesses.

StayLocal will host three consecutive Tuesday mornings of speed meetings at 1239 Baronne St., First Floor. To request a meeting with a local business expert, complete the form here.

We’ll connect the meeting attendees and host the meetings in-person.

Free event, with priority time assignments to StayLocal member businesses.

Office Hours are free consultations with local business experts including marketing pros, business growth strategists, specialists in digital growth, merchant services and more. Office Hours "speed meetings" are 20 minutes long and take place back-to-back (to-back-to-back) in time slots between 8:30 - 10 am. 

 Office Hours are open to local business owners, entrepreneurs, microbusinesses and the self-employed.When you register for Office Hours, we’ll share profiles of the independent business owner subject matter experts with whom you'll meet, so you can make the most of your speed meetings.

To register to attend the upcoming session on June 13 please click here. We’ll connect the meeting attendees and host the meetings in-person.

This is a event, with priority time assignments to StayLocal member businesses. Interested in being an expert matched with business owners? Contact StayLocal Program Manager Maryann Miller at (504) 252-1259.

Office Hours are free consultations with local business experts including marketing pros, business growth strategists, specialists in digital growth, merchant services and more. Office Hours "speed meetings" are 20 minutes long and take place back-to-back (to-back-to-back) in time slots between 8:30 - 10 am. 

Office Hours are open to local business owners, entrepreneurs, microbusinesses and the self-employed intent on sourcing locally from the New Orleans knowledge base. When you register for Office Hours, we’ll share profiles of the independent business owner subject matter experts with whom you'll meet, so you can make the most of your speed meetings.

To request a meeting with a local business expert, complete the form here. We’ll connect the meeting attendees and host the meetings in-person.

This is a free event, with priority time assignments to StayLocal member businesses. Interested in being an expert matched with businesses? Contact StayLocal Program Manager Maryann Miller at (504) 252-1259.

This one hour webinar is an overview of financial risk mitigation best practices for small business owners with an opportunity for Q & A to follow.

About this event

Financial risk management is crucial for the success of small businesses. This past year, we navigated through an ongoing global pandemic, natural disasters, supply chain issues and geopolitical uncertainty. Please join Marigny deMauriac, CFP®, AAMS® in collaboration with StayLocal to learn simple, actionable strategies that you can implement starting today to better manage financial risk in your business.

About Marigny deMauriac, CFP®, AAMS®: Marigny deMauriac, CFP®, AAMS®, is a graduate of Loyola University New Orleans and an 8+ year veteran of the finance industry. She earned her Accredited Asset Management Specialist™ designation in 2016 and her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation in 2020. She launched deMAURIAC, a 100% women-owned CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Registered Investment Advisory firm in 2019. She envisions a world where people are able to change unwanted financial behavior and have productive conversations about money without feeling overwhelmed, anxious or stressed. She assists clients in aligning money with core values in order to live simpler, more intentional financial lives. Learn more at deMauriac.com

About us: StayLocal is New Orleans' Independent Business Alliance, helping businesses stay competitive through workshops, networking events, policy initiatives, and advocacy work. StayLocal is a member-supported initiative of the Urban Conservancy devoted to raising the visibility and viability of locally-owned businesses that are a stabilizing presence in our communities, and help sustain vibrant, walkable neighborhoods. See member benefits and become a member StayLocal business here.

Register for the virtual event here.

StayLocal and LCI Worker’s Comp are hosting a series titled Breakfast with a Banker. The first breakfast topic, Financial Planning for Business Owners, will take place Tuesday, February 15th from 9 - 10 a.m.

Statistics show that small business owners often prioritize crafting investment plans for their employees and overlook their own nest eggs.

Angela Avant,  VP, Institutional Financial Advisor and Beau J. Fontenot Vice President, Senior Financial Advisor of Hancock Whitney Investment Services will present information which pairs their perspectives with the goals of business owners. 

Attend either in person, or remotely, as the event will be broadcast via Zoom. Space at the in-person event is limited, so please let us know you are coming. Register for the event here.

The annual Algiers bonfire is an urban reimagining of the bonfires that welcome Papa Noel, a tradition in the River Parishes.

Come #ShopNOLA for the Holidays at the all-Algiers craft market starting at 5:30 pm. while you listen to DJ Rik Ducci, All Saints Church Choir, LB Landry Jazz Ensemble and Casme (yes, Casme!) When the musical performances end, the bonfire gets lit!

We're proud to be a part of this event and thank Algiers Economic Development Foundation AEDF and Bounyful Green Market for helping making our holidays magical.

Together, we make shopping small a big deal! Join the celebration by shopping at local, independent shops and restaurants all day on Saturday, November 27 —the Saturday after Thanksgiving Day!

When consumers make the choice to #ShopSmall, purchases have 3x the impact since funds recirculate in the local economy longer. Show local businesses all the love this holiday season!

Biz owners: tell us your #SmallBizSat plans and we’ll share the message with customers by adding your information at http://bit.ly/ShopNOLAHolidays .

Shoppers, find our online shopping guide at staylocal.org/holidays

Centralizing sales tax collection throughout Louisiana is on November’s ballot. Currently Louisiana’s 64 parishes each designate an individual collecting authority, requiring additional coordination when sales taxes are collected throughout our state.

Join us for a conversation ahead of the November 13 vote, and learn about 2021 Amendment 1.

Amendment 1 for 2021 comes as a result of HB199, the State and Local Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Commission proposed last session by Speaker Schexnayder.

Business owners’ questions are welcome. Click here to register!

Senator Amy Klobuchar will join our friends at American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA), a national association of tens of thousands of independent business owners, to discuss specific ways monopolistic market behavior stifles small businesses and how to take action against it.

Congressional legislation to regulate markets, especially e-commerce, is forthcoming. Please join the discussion about the best ways to keep tech tools accessible equally to the largest and smallest businesses.

Register