Support Local Gems initiative begins Friday

BONNERS FERRY — The local Bonners Ferry Chamber of Commerce and Idaho state lawmakers and organizations are pulling together for Idaho small businesses.

The Bonners Ferry Chamber of Commerce has been hard at work with promoting local businesses to the community in an effort to help those small business owners compete with the stringent social distancing recommendations from the governor’s office.

Nancy Croll, a small business owner and Bonners Ferry Chamber of Commerce representative, has been helping local business owners connect with helpful information.

“We have been encouraging the community via social media to please support our businesses as much as possible, during and after this time,” Croll said. “Eat take-out, shop online from stores that have website ordering, do curbside pickup, schedule shopping appointments, buy gift cards over the phone, etc.”

There are a number of federal funding opportunities, loans, grants, and other resources available to small business owners during this shutdown period.

In addition to promoting local businesses by educating the community as to hours of operation, specials, and services, the Chamber has been diligently working on promotion and marketing efforts.

“We currently have a weekly raffle posted on Facebook page, offering supporters of local businesses a gift card from a Chamber member of their choice,” as stated in a recent email from the chamber. “There will be one winner each week, and we hope this will help our chamber members stay in front of their customers and get more support.”

“If you make a purchase at a chamber member business, send us a picture of your receipt and you’ll be entered to win a $25 gift card to a chamber business of your choice,” added Croll. “The raffle drawing is every Friday through May.”

The chamber is not alone in the efforts to help preserve local small businesses.

A new statewide initiative, dubbed Support Local Gems, has begun. On Monday, April 20, Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and the Idaho Department of Commerce, along with the encouragement of Governor Brad Little, made the initiative active.

“Idaho will be better positioned for a strong economic comeback because we are making difficult changes in how we live and work in the short-term, and our small businesses need our support more than ever,” Little said. “I urge all citizens who are able to spend money and support small business on Friday, April 24th.”

The Support Local Gems initiative invites communities to support their local businesses on Friday, April 24.

Shopping online, purchasing gift cards, ordering food via to-go menus or delivery, writing online reviews, posting supportive messages on a favorite small business in the community or even simply saying thank you to the local small businesses, are all ways in which to join in on the supportive initiative.

“Idaho small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities and the backbone of our state’s economy. The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak has forced widespread closures of small businesses across the Gem State, threatening livelihoods, acute job losses, and imperiling the future of Main Street establishments across the state,” said Risch. “There are many ways to support these businesses, on Friday, April 24th, I invite you to find a way to express your support for the small businesses that power our economy and make our communities thrive.”

In order to support and keep this initiative alive and ongoing, the Visit Idaho and Idaho Commerce organizations plan to extend the one-day Support Local Gems event to that of a 10-week initiative.

Visit Idaho and Idaho Commerce plan to continue the efforts by marketing the initiative through social media and further encourage participation with the cause. The organizations also plan to further spotlight efforts that are already in place in varied Idaho communities.

To learn more about the Support Local Gems initiative please visit Senator Risch’s Facebook page. For more information on the local Bonners Ferry Chamber of Commerce activities please visit their Facebook page or online at bonnersferrychamber.org.