ROCKINGHAM — For every dollar spent at a small business in the United States, approximately 67 cents stays in the local economy.
Richmond County Economic Developer Martie Butler contacted Richmond County Chamber President Emily Tucker and Richmond County Tourism Executive Director Meghann Lambeth to collaborate in initiating an effort that originated recently in Chatham and Orange counties. The counties are encouraging others to customize and use their image to ignite the effort across the state.
StimulUS is a grassroots movement to encourage citizens to spend locally in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, Pittsboro and throughout Orange and Chatham Counties and beyond. The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a crushing blow to our local economy, and it is critical to support our small businesses and nonprofits at this time.
Excited to join forces and unite in support for Richmond County, the three ladies are each promoting the initiative on the Facebook pages representative of their domains, Richmond County Chamber of Commerce, Richmond County Economic Development, and Visit Richmond County. Tucker has added a tab on the Chamber website that details the movement.
The trio is working to collect information from local businesses regarding their current status of operation. Some businesses are offering virtual options for sales, while others are opening on specified days in compliance with the governor’s restrictions. While Tucker is reaching out to business owners who are Chamber members, they encourage all business owners to contact them with information on their business in order for them to create a comprehensive list of businesses and ways to support them by shopping local.
For business owners and non-profits:
- Download the logo from Facebook or email to request a copy
- Post the logo on your social media and/or website with the hashtag #localstimulus
- Print the logo and place it in your store window
For consumers:
- Make a donation to a local nonprofit
- Order takeout from local restaurants
- Order online from local boutiques or other retailers
- Purchase a gift card from a local business
- Shop at the local farmers market or produce stands
- Play our shop local bingo* (see at bottom of story)
- Choose local for services like car repair, dog grooming, prescriptions, etc.
- Share your support for local businesses on social media and write a positive review
Contact information:
- Emily Tucker- president@richmondcountychamber.com
- Martie Butler- martie.butler@richmondnc.com
- Meghann Lambeth- visitrichmondcountync@gmail.com
