Organize a local business co-op with Local Proud

July 16, 2010 · 23 comments

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.

localproudThe 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.



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{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }

business middle east April 30, 2012 at 5:20 am

if you learn business than you read this article and hope many people learn and teach this way of method so i much agree these given article so if you learn than you follow.

Reply

iPhone Development
Twitter:
February 13, 2012 at 3:08 am

Great article. Discount coupons are very useful to grow the business because people like discount coupons as they have to pay less.
iPhone Development would love you to read ..Android Application Development – Rich App Development Platform for Smartphone UsersMy Profile

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wny glass block windows
Twitter:
July 8, 2011 at 1:59 am

people do love perks and discount cards and this is another way to grow your business online
wny glass block windows would love you to read ..Glass Block Window ShowersMy Profile

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Data Entry India April 21, 2011 at 8:23 am

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.

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Madeline who writes about Satellite TV Packages January 16, 2011 at 5:42 pm

I think creating a local business is one of the most successful business ideas. If you can also integrate a local business to online, then it would be better.

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Jenny who writes about MS Small Business Resources July 31, 2010 at 7:18 pm

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 =-.

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stephaniesuesansmith
Twitter:
August 3, 2010 at 3:58 pm

That is the idea, that it will help local businesses and everybody wins.

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Jason who writes about AffiloJetpack
Twitter:
July 24, 2010 at 2:20 am

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.

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Jeff
Twitter:
July 26, 2010 at 7:52 am

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!

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Craig Ferguson July 23, 2010 at 3:16 pm

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

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Jeff
Twitter:
July 26, 2010 at 7:55 am

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!

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Fitzmagic shirt
Twitter:
December 27, 2011 at 2:06 am

a COOP is always a good thing..we are proud to be a member of a local coop in our area

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Jeff
Twitter:
December 27, 2011 at 6:50 am

Would love to learn more about the coop in your area. SHoot me an email and let me know.

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graphic artist buffalo
Twitter:
December 28, 2011 at 2:45 am

i always am an advocate of localizing businesses! A COOP is one of the best things you can organize

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Harrison July 23, 2010 at 8:49 am

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.

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stephaniesuesansmith
Twitter:
August 3, 2010 at 4:15 pm

Well, try this, may help.

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Colleen who writes about Kennewick Homes
Twitter:
July 17, 2010 at 6:30 pm

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 =-.

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stephaniesuesansmith
Twitter:
July 19, 2010 at 7:17 am

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 =-.

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Jeff
Twitter:
July 20, 2010 at 9:38 am

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!

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Wedding DJs July 17, 2010 at 10:15 am

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!

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Jeff
Twitter:
July 20, 2010 at 9:02 am

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!

Reply

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