BY KADIE VICK THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — LaFayette Main Street is holding its second annual Shine Campaign to promote local small businesses throughout the summer.
“The Shine Campaign is a way to highlight our Main Street member businesses and draw people to shop locally,” said LaFayette Main Street Director DeAnna Hand. “We have actually given out over 40 of our shine signs to local businesses and businesses in the community this summer. LaFayette is known for shining bright; the sun always shines in Chambers County, and this is a reflection of that.”
Summer months are difficult for small businesses, and without community support to mitigate summer slumps, businesses can struggle even after slow seasons. LaFayette Main Street is making sure its local business owners have the support they need to thrive.
“The summer months are always so hard for local, small businesses.” Hand said. “So this was just a creative way that our promotion committee decided that they wanted to really highlight our businesses during the summer months. As a result, we won a Main Street Alabama Award of Excellence for Business Promotion at last year’s Main Street Alabama Conference.”
This initiative is not only intended to promote local small businesses, but also to show appreciation to entrepreneurs for all of their hard work to bring their skills and products to the community.
“We just want to show our businesses how much we thank them for choosing to run their business in LaFayette and all the hard work they do every day,” Hand said. “We know that small businesses are the heart of our community and of our town, and we want to continue to support them and show our gratitude for all that they bring to our community.”
The campaign has also introduced customers to small business products and services they might not have been aware of before.
“Without the shine signs, locals might not think about Krave Korner as an option for their catering for an upcoming wedding. With this publicity and this spotlighting on different businesses, locals can better utilize the skills and services within their own community,” Hand said. “Another example is The Blue Button and Embroidery Quilts, they don’t only do embroidery, they also have a gift shop. So when people see that shine sign in the window, they’re going to stop and see what other products and merchandise it has to offer.”
To receive a shine sign, local businesses must become a member of LaFayette Main Street. To become a member, business owners can contact LaFayette Main Street through its Facebook page or its website www.lafayettemainstreet.org/.
“People have said to me that they want to be part of Main Street because they want a shine sign, and they want the spotlight on their business that it brings, and it means a lot to me for local entrepreneurs to allow us this opportunity to help with the success of their small businesses,” Hand said.
