Supporting the growth of local businesses
Posted by Amy Clickner on November 28, 2012
We’ve talked in the past about a successful economic development strategy needing three main functions in their portfolio:
Attraction
Retention/Expansion
Start-Up
As any good businessperson knows, it costs less to retain a customer than it does to attract a new one and the same holds true in job creation. When you hear “shop locally,” “fly from nearby” or “stay UP for healthcare” you may not think about them as statements of retention/expansion when in fact they are. That is why I thought this time of year would be perfect for me to remind you to support your local businesses and point out a couple programs the LSCP has to help support the growth of local businesses.
Small Business Saturday was this past weekend, smack dab between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I hope you shopped or dined locally. In 2011, over 100 million people were out shopping at independently-owned small businesses on Small Business Saturday and the expectation was that number would increase in 2012. I want to encourage you to continue to shop locally throughout this holiday season (and throughout the year!). By doing so you’re showing your support for the community and helping local entrepreneurs grow their business, which in turn invigorates our local economy.
Hey LSCP Partners, do you have your key? The LSCP “Key to the County” program is an incentive we provide to shop locally. This program is one way to support the local marketplace and for LSCP partners to support each other. It is a tangible way to maximize investment by attracting new customers to your place of business without spending additional advertising dollars. Partners are able to provide all of their employees with the discount (key) card which is another nice benefit for LSCP Partner companies.
Calling all businesses that have added new positions in 2012! Our expansion program, Plus One, is designed around the premise that an employer adding a single employee contributes to the economic vitality in Marquette County. The number of small businesses grew 43% in the ten year period from 1999-2009. Marquette County small businesses employ about 6,000 workers which is approximately the combined total of the top four employers in our county. At our annual meeting in 2011 we recognized 37 companies who added a total of 462 new jobs, bringing the total since the program began to 1,488 new jobs added. Not only do we want to support growth, but we think those that take the risk and continue to invest in our region deserve to be recognized.
Please contact Director of Marketing and Communications, Betsy Babcock (bbabcock@marquette.org) if you would like to include an offer for the Key to the County or if you’ve added a new job this year and we can recognize you through our Plus One program. And remember, Shop Local!
