By Alex Gladu
One small gesture can go a long way, especially if it becomes a habit. After a spontaneous act of support made a big difference for a local business, Promoboxx decided to continue rescuing small businesses on a regular basis. Now, ShopRescue gives independent businesses a boost, right when they need it most.
Back in December, Boston-based Promoboxx heard about a local Chinese restaurant facing unfair scrutiny from a Harvard Business School professor. To take a stand, Promoboxx CEO Ben Carcio sent his employees to the restaurant to order $500 worth of food and hosted a community luncheon. It was a simple and spontaneous gesture, but it shows how important it is for businesses to help each other in times of need.
Since then, Promoboxx, under Carcio’s lead, has created ShopRescue, a program that pledges to rescue independent retailers who could use some help. Each month, Promoboxx will choose a new small business to rescue and feature on their blog. The business should be independently or family-owned, with strong community involvement and no more than three brick-and-mortar locations. Promoboxx will rescue the business by offering retail support, digital marketing services, branding assistance and more.
Promoboxx – and Carcio, more specifically – has a long history of helping local retailers get the resources they need to brand and market themselves. Carcio’s company works with national brands to give their local retailers online marketing tools and strategies. On Promoboxx’s website, Carcio tells the story of his parents’ mom-and-pop shop, which relied on big brands for marketing support. Now, Promoboxx works with dozens of big brands to support tens of thousands of little retailers across the country.
ShopRescue is an opportunity for Promoboxx to help even more small businesses. It looks beyond industry, beyond location and beyond brands to help independently owned businesses thrive in their communities and online.
If you own or know of a small business that could use ShopRescue’s help, fill out a short form at www.shoprescue.org or send an email to shoprescue@promoboxx.com. For more information about Promoboxx visit www.promoboxx.com.
Independent We Stand is dedicated to helping independent businesses across the country engage their communities and encouraging customers to buy local. If you’re a business owner, get buy local resources, tips and news by registering at www.independentwestand.org/membership/. Your business will also be included in our ‘locals only’ search engine and mobile app. If you’re a consumer, take the pledge to buy local and find local businesses in your community at www.independentwestand.org/take-a-stand/join-the-movement/.
About Alex
Alex is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she is double-majoring in Public Relations and Spanish. Since becoming a writer for Independent We Stand, she has fully adopted the ‘buy local’ lifestyle. Her favorite indie business is Sugarland, a bakery in Chapel Hill, N.C, where she has been known to go a little cupcake crazy. She hopes to attend law school and pursue a career in nonprofit or political communication.
Read more about community support, promoboxx, small business help.
