As we enter the holiday season, the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce is ramping up efforts to encourage and support conscientious consumption through various means of educating those who work and reside in the area.
“We know, when looking at sales tax from previous years, that November and December are two of our highest months in terms of money spent in our community. We know that we have great gifts of products and service right here in Grand Island but sometimes it’s easy to forget just how important it is to pick that local supplier over that of an overseas supplier,” Grand Island Chamber of Commerce President Cindy Johnson said.
When making the conscious choice of a local supplier, that money is channeled back into the community. Research shows, on average every $100 that is spent at a small, local business, nearly 70% of that money stays right here in Grand Island.
The Chamber uses various social media platforms to increase awareness of the impacts our community feels when residents choose to spend their dollars, locally. We often lump every industry into shopping when it comes to supporting local business but Johnson reiterates that shopping local is more than buying your Christmas gifts here.
Grand Island and surrounding communities are full of small business owners in a variety of industries. These small businesses play a major role in contributing to the local economy.
Brandy Rima started her own business, Brandy’s Balloons & Custom Laser Engraving, as a home-based business providing balloon services for birthday parties and other events. Her clients have ranged from birthday parties to business events and even 13 different county fairs. Over her nearly 10 years in business, Rima has transitioned to a variety of business formats, including home-based, storefront, an incubator business space, to her current mobile business in order to meet the needs of her customers.
In addition to a change in locations, Rima plans to rebrand her business name from “Brandy’s Balloons & Custom Laser Engraving” to “It’s The Little Things” which would better reflect the mission of her business: to create and deliver the heartfelt sentiments for the special people in her customer’s lives.
It’s this belief that sets Rima’s small business apart.
As a staff of one, Rima recognizes that her business is her livelihood, and unlike large corporations, much of her income goes directly to her personal expenses.
“You're helping to put food on their table, you're helping them give back to their community, you're helping them pay their rent or their mortgage or, you know, when you support a small business, our sales tax dollars go right back to our communities. You know, you're helping support a dream within your community,” Rima said.
Giving back to the community is an essential part of Rima’s business plan, as she feels a desire to support those who support her.
“I think that's one of the coolest things about small businesses is that we are so much more willing to give back to our community because we directly know you,” Rima said. “We know who your family is. We know who your kiddos are, and it is in our hearts to give back to them. That's what it's all about.”
She makes an effort to provide programs with the mission of giving back to her community, like partnering with local businesses through her Birthday Club or participating in community celebrations.
Sierra Thyfault opened her salon, Helium Salon, in downtown Grand Island after working at a salon in Omaha for several years. The Grand Island native decided to return to her hometown to start her businesses because she felt like Grand Island was a tight-knit community full of members who are receptive to new businesses.
Thyfault chose downtown Grand Island for her business because she saw the potential. She feels she “has always been a part of wanting to make something, that’s nothing, something” and envisioned ways she could distinguish her salon.
Coming from an entrepreneurial-minded family, Thyfault has always been a big supporter of other Grand Island businesses. She believes it’s important to make the choice to support a local business over a nationally owned business, outside the community, because local businesses in turn support other businesses in the community.
“You know that your money is going into people that buy from the grocery stores, support this redevelopment and support you and what you do if you're a local worker, you know, there are people that will utilize you in return,” Thyfault said.
The doors of Helium Salon share this same message, with a decal that reads, ‘We know you have choices, thank you for keeping it local.’ Thyfault hopes that her clients continue to choose locally owned. She has felt overwhelmed by those in her community who continue to choose local.
As some small businesses are still recovering from the hardships brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be difficult to compete with national retailers.
“The availability and the price, like, I don't have the buying power that [national retailers] have. So, I can't get that same kind of discount. I can't be guaranteed helium,” Rima said. “And then how do I pass that price point on to my customer when they can get it so much cheaper somewhere else? That I think is the biggest struggle in small business right now … I can't get my hands on it, and if I can, it's crazy expensive.”
To combat this, Rima teams up with other small businesses in Nebraska for her products, like sourcing her balloons from Omaha or chocolates from Ashland. Similarly, Thyfault has found success in partnerships with other downtown businesses like local boutiques since the demographics of their customers often overlap.
For small business owners like Rima and Thyfault, community support can often be the most important part of a successful business.
“Our goal is to keep that support – completing an online review, liking their Facebook page, stopping in to say you appreciate them – year-round,” Johnson said. “Grand Island is a great place to start a business and that shows by the variety of industries represented here. Let’s recognize the role these businesses play in our economy and let’s celebrate that.”
According to Johnson, being a champion for local businesses goes beyond just the purchase of an item, food or service – it can include a variety of actions like adding a generous tip to your order, posting photos of your food, product or service on social media, or sharing about your positive experience with others.
Both Rima and Thyfault find that referrals and interacting with the business can be a great supplement to a purchase. With this, they both hope that customers are mindful of what they post online and instead contact the business if they were unhappy with their purchase.
“If you had a bad experience with a small business, reach out to them directly. We are people too, and we have bad days,” Rima said. “I feel if I can reach out to an owner directly and talk to them about it, they're more than willing to go over and beyond to correct it.”
Thyfault added that “feedback is loud in a small community” and reviews truly make a difference to a business. She hopes that community members recognize this and continue to share their authentic experiences.
Small Business Saturday is a holiday founded by American Express in 2010 – a day to celebrate and support our local small businesses and thank them for what they do for our community. The event is celebrated each year on the Saturday after Black Friday, and will take place on Saturday, November 26 this year. The week of Thanksgiving is the start of arguably the busiest shopping period of the year – consumers are encouraged to choose small, local businesses when making purchasing decisions.
The Chamber recognizes the importance of continuing to support local businesses because those businesses in turn give back to the community. This extends beyond Small Business Saturday into what has been referred to as ‘Small Business Season’ by Chamber of Commerces across the nation. The season runs from November 1 to December 31.
“Of course we hope that folks will choose to purchase gift cards to local businesses, apparel, car washes or home goods here,” Johnson said. “We also hope that ‘shopping local’ mentality goes beyond the holidays – when things slow down in January and February, when you’re ready to buy that new car or switch insurance to a local agent.”
While supporting local business is important all year long, the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce challenges the community to make an extra effort to look to the small, local businesses for the perfect holiday gifts this Small Business Season.
“We know, when looking at sales tax from previous years, that November and December are two of our highest months in terms of money spent in our community. We know that we have great gifts of products and service right here in Grand Island but sometimes it’s easy to forget just how important it is to pick that local supplier over that of an overseas supplier,” Grand Island Chamber of Commerce President Cindy Johnson said.
When making the conscious choice of a local supplier, that money is channeled back into the community. Research shows, on average every $100 that is spent at a small, local business, nearly 70% of that money stays right here in Grand Island.
The Chamber uses various social media platforms to increase awareness of the impacts our community feels when residents choose to spend their dollars, locally. We often lump every industry into shopping when it comes to supporting local business but Johnson reiterates that shopping local is more than buying your Christmas gifts here.
Grand Island and surrounding communities are full of small business owners in a variety of industries. These small businesses play a major role in contributing to the local economy.
Brandy Rima started her own business, Brandy’s Balloons & Custom Laser Engraving, as a home-based business providing balloon services for birthday parties and other events. Her clients have ranged from birthday parties to business events and even 13 different county fairs. Over her nearly 10 years in business, Rima has transitioned to a variety of business formats, including home-based, storefront, an incubator business space, to her current mobile business in order to meet the needs of her customers.
In addition to a change in locations, Rima plans to rebrand her business name from “Brandy’s Balloons & Custom Laser Engraving” to “It’s The Little Things” which would better reflect the mission of her business: to create and deliver the heartfelt sentiments for the special people in her customer’s lives.
It’s this belief that sets Rima’s small business apart.
As a staff of one, Rima recognizes that her business is her livelihood, and unlike large corporations, much of her income goes directly to her personal expenses.
“You're helping to put food on their table, you're helping them give back to their community, you're helping them pay their rent or their mortgage or, you know, when you support a small business, our sales tax dollars go right back to our communities. You know, you're helping support a dream within your community,” Rima said.
Giving back to the community is an essential part of Rima’s business plan, as she feels a desire to support those who support her.
“I think that's one of the coolest things about small businesses is that we are so much more willing to give back to our community because we directly know you,” Rima said. “We know who your family is. We know who your kiddos are, and it is in our hearts to give back to them. That's what it's all about.”
She makes an effort to provide programs with the mission of giving back to her community, like partnering with local businesses through her Birthday Club or participating in community celebrations.
Sierra Thyfault opened her salon, Helium Salon, in downtown Grand Island after working at a salon in Omaha for several years. The Grand Island native decided to return to her hometown to start her businesses because she felt like Grand Island was a tight-knit community full of members who are receptive to new businesses.
Thyfault chose downtown Grand Island for her business because she saw the potential. She feels she “has always been a part of wanting to make something, that’s nothing, something” and envisioned ways she could distinguish her salon.
Coming from an entrepreneurial-minded family, Thyfault has always been a big supporter of other Grand Island businesses. She believes it’s important to make the choice to support a local business over a nationally owned business, outside the community, because local businesses in turn support other businesses in the community.
“You know that your money is going into people that buy from the grocery stores, support this redevelopment and support you and what you do if you're a local worker, you know, there are people that will utilize you in return,” Thyfault said.
The doors of Helium Salon share this same message, with a decal that reads, ‘We know you have choices, thank you for keeping it local.’ Thyfault hopes that her clients continue to choose locally owned. She has felt overwhelmed by those in her community who continue to choose local.
As some small businesses are still recovering from the hardships brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be difficult to compete with national retailers.
“The availability and the price, like, I don't have the buying power that [national retailers] have. So, I can't get that same kind of discount. I can't be guaranteed helium,” Rima said. “And then how do I pass that price point on to my customer when they can get it so much cheaper somewhere else? That I think is the biggest struggle in small business right now … I can't get my hands on it, and if I can, it's crazy expensive.”
To combat this, Rima teams up with other small businesses in Nebraska for her products, like sourcing her balloons from Omaha or chocolates from Ashland. Similarly, Thyfault has found success in partnerships with other downtown businesses like local boutiques since the demographics of their customers often overlap.
For small business owners like Rima and Thyfault, community support can often be the most important part of a successful business.
“Our goal is to keep that support – completing an online review, liking their Facebook page, stopping in to say you appreciate them – year-round,” Johnson said. “Grand Island is a great place to start a business and that shows by the variety of industries represented here. Let’s recognize the role these businesses play in our economy and let’s celebrate that.”
According to Johnson, being a champion for local businesses goes beyond just the purchase of an item, food or service – it can include a variety of actions like adding a generous tip to your order, posting photos of your food, product or service on social media, or sharing about your positive experience with others.
Both Rima and Thyfault find that referrals and interacting with the business can be a great supplement to a purchase. With this, they both hope that customers are mindful of what they post online and instead contact the business if they were unhappy with their purchase.
“If you had a bad experience with a small business, reach out to them directly. We are people too, and we have bad days,” Rima said. “I feel if I can reach out to an owner directly and talk to them about it, they're more than willing to go over and beyond to correct it.”
Thyfault added that “feedback is loud in a small community” and reviews truly make a difference to a business. She hopes that community members recognize this and continue to share their authentic experiences.
Small Business Saturday is a holiday founded by American Express in 2010 – a day to celebrate and support our local small businesses and thank them for what they do for our community. The event is celebrated each year on the Saturday after Black Friday, and will take place on Saturday, November 26 this year. The week of Thanksgiving is the start of arguably the busiest shopping period of the year – consumers are encouraged to choose small, local businesses when making purchasing decisions.
The Chamber recognizes the importance of continuing to support local businesses because those businesses in turn give back to the community. This extends beyond Small Business Saturday into what has been referred to as ‘Small Business Season’ by Chamber of Commerces across the nation. The season runs from November 1 to December 31.
“Of course we hope that folks will choose to purchase gift cards to local businesses, apparel, car washes or home goods here,” Johnson said. “We also hope that ‘shopping local’ mentality goes beyond the holidays – when things slow down in January and February, when you’re ready to buy that new car or switch insurance to a local agent.”
While supporting local business is important all year long, the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce challenges the community to make an extra effort to look to the small, local businesses for the perfect holiday gifts this Small Business Season.
