With roots on Long Island, NY, the team behind Operation Main Street is truly #NewYorkTough. And tough challenges like those imposed by COVID-19 call for all the creativity, innovation and scrappy smarts a grassroots technology initiative like Operation Main Street can muster. Produced pro bono by Huntington based eGifter.com, this free, searchable directory lets community residents across the county — and country — save their favorite local shops and restaurants with immediate cash infusions derived from gift card purchases. That’s why we are so proud to be awarded the distinction as the flagship solution of Suffolk Forward, a bold plan led by Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. 

Bellone crafted the Suffolk Forward plan in collaboration with the county’s sharpest problem solvers, technology leaders and academicians. Said Bellone, “Suffolk Forward is an exciting new partnership that will allow local businesses to leverage expertise and resources to improve their operations and IT infrastructure.”

Local Economic Development

It All Starts with a Plan

The Suffolk Forward Plan was designed in cooperation with Stony Brook University College of Business and has five distinct initiatives designed to help local businesses. Anyone with questions can contact the  Suffolk County Business Recovery Unit at Suffolk 311 or suffolkcountyny.gov/bru. 

1. Dubbed the Suffolk Forward Gift Card Platform, OperationMainStreet.com offers free business listings to companies that sell gift cards online with an easy-to-search interface that lets residents support their favorite stores with gift card purchases. Suffolk County business listings are here.
2. The Suffolk Forward Job Board provides Suffolk County Residents with access to regional job opportunities and businesses with a pool of talented applicants searching for new employment opportunities. 
3. The remaining three initiatives provide small businesses with support and education services delivered by Stony Brook University designed to meet the challenges identified by small businesses. These initiatives include the Tech Enhancement Program, the Suffolk Forward “Pandemic Shift” Business Workshops, and the Suffolk Forward Virtual Expert Network.

Said Brian Yudewitz, Chairman of the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce, “We as a chamber are happy to see action being taken by the county to assist businesses.  Huntington has been hit hard by the stay at home order and our businesses will need help from all levels of government to assist in the recovery and reopening.” 

Working together, and alongside great local leaders Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, we will carry on stronger than ever.

With Governors of U.S. states banding together to develop & deliver pragmatic steps toward local economic recovery from the devastating effects of COVID-19, it’s clear that actionable solutions at the State and Local levels are needed. The grassroots movement of OperationMainStreet.com has taken off! A FREE, searchable directory, Operation Main Street displays listings that allow small businesses to publicize and promote gift cards to their restaurant, shop or store. To see if YOUR business is already listed, just click on your state, here: local.egifter.com/states. Don’t see a listing? No problem. If you offer a digital gift card for sale on your website, we’d love to list you! Enter a request to add your business now — and we’ll publish your listing quickly (click here.) There’s 0% catch and 100% upside. Your customers, friends and neighbors want to give you a revenue boost. Everyone knows you need cash to keep the lights on — and you need sales to keep salaries flowing.

A Free Listing? Yes.

Shop owners are doing their best to stay strong in these challenging times. Every promotional and sales opportunity is a precious one. That’s where you come in: The gift card you purchase from your favorite local store today can ensure that they remain in business tomorrow.

• Any business with a gift card can be listed
• Customers can save their favorite restaurant or store
• Just, search the free directory and buy a gift card

Small Businesses Need a Hand.

Everyone wants to help. Now you can.

Just by sharing this post, you can get attention from local elected officials who are looking for great programs that THEY can promote. By sharing this post now as a call-to-action, you can actually make a difference in your own neighborhood.

The more elected officials and business leaders share this free directory listing with their constituents, the greater the chance YOUR favorite shop can stay afloat.

Join the Social Action. Share Now.

Join the movement by encouraging your friends and neighbors to buy gift cards from local stores. Let your favorite business owners know they can get added to the directory just for the asking — as long as their gift cards can be purchased online. Lots of

• Suffolk NY Forward: Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (Tweet is here)  (Newsday Article Here)
• Colorado Chamber of Commerce: 9 Ways to Promote Your Small Business
• Queens Chamber of Commerce: Teaming Up to Help Small Businesses (Tweet is here)
• @GoogleSmallBusiness likes Operation Main Street! (Tweet is here)

Contact your favorite local business and ask them to add their store to the OperationMainStreet.com free directory now!

It will be good for everyone — most importantly, your town.

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#operationmainstreet #smallbusiness #covid-19 #newsday

It’s only fitting that the Queens Chamber of Commerce was the first business organization to Claim Your Town in the free Operation Main Street small business directory. In fact, Queens is the only borough in New York City with a downtown district squarely situated on “Main Street” — bustling with buses, subways, LIRR, and overflowing with the best variety of authentic ethnic restaurants. The multitude of small business establishments and retail shops in Queens all depend on economic development and their powerful, capable Chamber of Commerce. A steady hand and forward thinker throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, President and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, Thomas Grech knows a good opportunity when he sees one.  “The Queens Chamber of Commerce constantly searches for programs and services benefiting our members,” Grech said. “So when we saw this opportunity to expand the Internet footprint of our local retailers – at no cost to the Chamber or the member – we jumped on it.”

Teaming Up to Save Small Businesses in Queens

The Operation Main Street team is proud of the announcement on Twitter by Grech and the Queens Chamber of Commerce. Through publicity initiatives like this one, Queens business organizations, entrepreneurs and store owners can leverage the Operation Main Street directory, which is free of charge, to increase their sales revenue. And Queens residents looking for ways to help can help save their favorite local shops by purchasing gift cards online. A brief explainer video is here. 

Queens, A Stellar Place to Live and Work

OperationMainStreet.com is still very much in the nascent stages but the site’s creator, eGifter.com, says the reception has been satisfying and encouraging. 

According to eGifter.com CEO Tyler Roye. “Several elected officials have reached out to us about “claiming” the municipalities they represent, and chamber leaders like Tom Grech have really stepped up.”

Roye is convinced that  Main Street USA will play a huge role in the economic recovery necessitated by the disruption caused by the Coronavirus. Ironically, weeks of isolation have made Americans more cognizant and appreciative of the importance of congregating and connecting. Most Americans today yearn for the simplicity of simply being together — at the pubs, restaurants and shops that characterize most downtowns across the country.  

Operation Main Street looks to serve these communities by providing the tools they need to maintain their rightful place in the hearts of Americans within the Heart of America. And there’s no better place to commence this service than right here in Queens, another one of the world’s largest small towns.