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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.2 Small Business Saturday Recog STAFF REPORT CITY CLERK File #470-50 CITY COUNCIL DATE:November 5, 2013 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Joni Pattillo, City Manager SUBJECT: Update on Shop Local Holiday Campaign and Proclamation in Recognition of Small Business Saturday – November 30, 2013 Prepared by Shari Jackman, Public Service Employee EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The City Council will receive an update on this year’s Shop Local Holiday Campaign which, in partnership with the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, will encourage shopping throughout the City of Dublin during the holidays. Additionally, the City Council will issue a proclamation regarding Small Business Saturday on November 30, 2013. The national initiative’s goal is to support those local businesses that create jobs, boost the economy, and preserve neighborhoods around the country. This initiative to prompt residents to dedicate a portion of holiday shopping to local, independently-owned small businesses aligns closely with Dublin’s Shop Local Campaign. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Costs associated with the execution of the Shop Local – “Discover Dublin for the Holidays” are included in the Fiscal Year 2013-14 budget. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council accept report and proclaim November 30, 2013 as Small Business Saturday in Dublin. Submitted By Reviewed By Economic Development Director Assistant City Manager DESCRIPTION: In 2011, the City partnered with the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and launched “Discover Dublin for the Holidays,” a social media-based campaign to encourage and increase shopping throughout the City of Dublin during the holidays. ITEM NO. 3.2 Page 1 of 2 The campaign is now in its third year, and the Chamber continues to utilize the Shop Local Holiday Campaign’s Facebook page to promote businesses to Dublin residents. The Facebook page, www.facebook.com/discoverdublin, with more than 640 “likes,” promotes businesses that are participating in the campaign by posting their business profile, photos, as well as store promotions and events. Subscribers to the campaign’s Facebook page are then notified of the recent updates. For the 2013 campaign, the City is mailing packets to Dublin restaurants and businesses, notifying them of the campaign and encouraging their participation. The packets contain Shop Local posters for their storefronts, and business cards for their patrons to encourage additional visitors to the Facebook page. Leading up to the campaign, the City, in October, partnered with the Chamber and the Alameda County Small Business Development Center to give a dozen local business owners the necessary tools to effectively market their businesses online. The City and the Chamber will also be offering new promotions this year to encourage more local shopping and “likes” on Facebook, including daily and/or weekly drawings to receive gift cards to local restaurants and retailers. The City will also be working with local restaurants to encourage discounts for those shoppers who bring in a receipt from a local business. Another campaign that supports local shopping is Small Business Saturday, an initiative that began in 2010 to help small businesses gain exposure during the busiest shopping period of the year -- between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Small Business Saturday encourages holiday shoppers to patronize small, independently-operated businesses. Supporting small businesses is a high priority for the City Council, and Staff will continue to work actively to support Small Business Saturday throughout the month of November to local residents. NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: N/A ATTACHMENTS: 1. “Small Business Saturday” Proclamation Page 2 of 2 A PROCLAMATION OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF DUBLIN, CALIFORNIA “SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY” WHEREAS, the City of Dublin believes that small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the glue that holds communities together; according to the United States Small Business Administration, there are currently over 27 million small businesses in the United States and they represent more than 99 percent of American companies, create two-thirds of the net new jobs, and generate half of private gross domestic product; and WHEREAS, small businesses employ over 50% of the working population in the United States; and WHEREAS, 93% of U.S. consumers believe it’s important to support the local small businesses that they value in their community, and 89% agree that locally-owned, independent businesses contribute positively through taxes and jobs; and WHEREAS, the City of Dublin supports our local businesses that create jobs, boost our local economy, and preserve our neighborhoods; and WHEREAS, advocacy groups and public and private organizations across the country have endorsed the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday. NOW, THEREFORE, I, Tim Sbranti, Mayor of Dublin, on behalf of the entire City Council, do hereby proclaim November 30, 2013, as “SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY” and urge the residents of our community, and communities across the country, to support small businesses and merchants on Small Business Saturday and throughout the year. DATED: November 5, 2013 _____________________ _______________________ Mayor Sbranti Vice Mayor Biddle ___________________ _____________________ ______________________ Councilmember Hart Councilmember Haubert Councilmember Gupta