Operation Main Street Small Business Stories - Helping small businesses survive COVID-19… one gift card at a time
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Operation Main Street Small Business Stories - Helping small businesses survive COVID-19… one gift card at a time
Operation Main Street
Add Your Business
Claim Your Town
  • Operation Main Street
  • Add Your Business
  • Claim Your Town
Operation Main Street News

Help Consumers Shop Local

Chambers of Commerce

Chambers of Commerce — Start Now! 

A team of entrepreneurs (like you) created a free online directory for businesses across the U.S. Why? To help consumers shop local from businesses that sell gift cards online! What’s more, any Chamber of Commerce can effortlessly customize a site within Operation Main Street. Imagine creating YOUR OWN local gift card business directory — for free — simply by entering the zip codes in your district.

Just like that, you’ll have a localized gift card directory to help the businesses in your community. 

CoC’s Have the Power to Help

Because Chambers of Commerce offer a unique set of resources and perspective, they can really help. For one thing, they can influence shop owners to help one another to simply promote the directory. As a result, when consumers spend cash on gift cards from their favorite store, local stores receive a much needed cash infusion to stay afloat. For certain, business owners need all the free tools they can get during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • See Businesses In Your District 
  • Businesses Get Listed (FREE)

Help local stores and restaurants in your town sell more gift cards. By getting discovered in the Operation Main Street Directory, they’ll do better, faster.

We can all use the help. No hidden fees. No catch.

June 16, 2020by Operation Main Street
Operation Main Street News

Steve Bellone’s ‘Suffolk Forward’ Gift Card Program

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.

May 11, 2020by Team eGifter
Operation Main Street News

The Borough of Queens: Another Main Street, USA

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.”

“We always hear about how local retailers are the backbone of the nation’s economy, but too little is done to support them on a grand scale. We’re looking to change that.”

– Tyler Roye, eGifter CEO

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.

May 6, 2020by Team eGifter
Operation Main Street News

Teaming with LongIsland.com: A Free Local Business Directory Goes Live

Never before has the phrase ‘Think Global, Buy Local” meant so much. With today’s stay at home mandate due to the COVID-19 pandemic, communities across the nation are struggling to keep their local shops and restaurants afloat until normal life resumes and beyond. Consumer spending is down and business mortality is up — a trend that can only be neutralized from a grassroots, local relief effort. Thanks to a new initiative from Operation Main Street powered by eGifter, we warmly welcome LongIsland.com to the directory. Now, Long Islanders can search local.egifter.com to find nearby restaurants, shops, studios, academies, barbers, beauty stores, coffee shops, music stores (and more!) The idea is to empower consumers to easily locate and shop at stores in local Long Island neighborhoods from the comfort of their home by searching a local directory of companies to find what they need nearby. Together with LongIsland.com, we’ve engineered a way for Long Islanders to save the small businesses they love while keeping their homes stocked and their families fed.

For businesses not yet on the searchable directory, signing up is simple, quick and free. 

At launch time, the Long Island business directory included several hundred company listings which will be joined by many hundreds more, as LI Business Owners and Long Island Chambers of Commerce learn how to get discovered and take the simple, quick (and free!) steps to register their business or organization. Because it only takes a few moments to register a company in the searchable directory at local.eGifter.com/location/LongIsland, increased visibility, engagement and revenue is close at hand, just by adding their business listing to the directory, for free.  

Not just that! Long Island Chambers of Commerce will be able Claim Their Town, increasing exposure and participation in all the town has to offer.

Says @AndrewHazen, owner of Long Island media and Long Island Technology Hall of Fame ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’, “the team at LongIsland.com is thrilled to join up with eGifter.com. LongIsland.com has been LI’s most popular website since 1996. We continue to push the edges to make sure that LI residents and visitors alike can quickly and easily get the who, what, where and when on Long Island.”

We’re proud to stand with you, Andrew. 

April 11, 2020by Operation Main Street
Operation Main Street News

Saving Livelihoods: Operation Main Street

With each passing day, the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks more and more havoc on our society, putting lives at stake and our country at economic risk. But in the face of it all, we’re also seeing good, old fashioned American Spirit rise to battle the blaze. Every day at the stroke of 7pm, people are stepping away from their living rooms and into the streets. Their cheers and thanks are directed at the healthcare workers who put their own lives in harm’s way caring for the sick and suffering, In our own response to the nation’s call for help, the eGifter team quickly conceptualized, developed and launched a solution that is having a dramatic, healing effect: OperationMainStreet.com. As a national initiative with local roots, Operation Main Street is an emergent technology solution offering real help to real people. Through the combined power of both search engine and gift card technologies, the Operation Main Street platform adds an economic spending boost to local communities and neighborhoods across the United States. Operation Main Street is a uniquely designed local business directory where search requests automagically return a list of stores in selected zip codes that serve *you* and *your* community. Read on to learn how it works and to see how good neighbors like you can literally save livelihoods in your own backyard. And, in turn, through spending boons through gift card sales, local businesses and organizations can stay in business to serve the community that loves them.

OperationMainStreet.com: A Free Searchable Local Business Directory Making Gift Cards Accessible

Making sure neighborhood businesses can be easily found by local residents who want to save their favorite shops and restaurants is the promise delivered by the powerhouse business directory at OperationMainStreet.com. Together, we’ll endeavor toward the better days that lie ahead.

Neighbors: Save Your Favorite Local Restaurants and Shops

At this precarious time in our nation’s history, we’ve all reached the same conclusion: We must do our collective part to help small business owners in our towns and villages stay solvent, pay their rent and taxes, and employ salaried workers. Helping small businesses stay afloat and feed their own families is the task at hand, which will in turn empower them to pay the local taxes on which our towns depend. Keeping businesses going is a moral and financial imperative. It’s the only way that we, the people, will maintain access to food, essentials and services upon which we depend to keep our homes and families safe, well and active. Search local stores in the directory. 

Local Businesses: Keep the Revenue Rolling

Residents of every U.S. community are clamoring to patronize local stores to help them stay in business. Gift cards make it super easy for customers to buy products and services because they are incredibly accessible and flexible payment currencies. Already offer gift cards? Great, add your listing! Have never offered gift cards but want to? Great, we can help! List your business in the directory. 

Chambers of Commerce: Help Your Community Thrive

As the heart of any community, Chambers of Commerce across the U.S. have a vested interest in promoting and protecting the interests of its members, citizens and businesses. With the ability to “Claim Your Town”, you’ll soon acquire a customized website and dynamic local business directory personalized to your town. Made with the organizations below in mind, our team is ready, willing and able to accept and convert your inquiry into an actionable solution — a website and local directory of your very own. List your town and generate a local directory. 

  • Chambers of Commerce
  • Local Municipalities
  • Business Associations
  • Regional Web Directories
  • Local Radio Stations
  • Local Television Stations
  • Local Newspapers

The World Needs All the Good We Can Muster. 

Yes, there is uncertainty about tomorrow. And true, there are no guarantees for the health and safety of our families, friends and loved ones. However, we say this with 100% certainty: Through sheer determination and human spirit, leaders will lead. At eGifter, we will continue to innovate new paths to health, safety and connectedness through gift cards and related technologies. The team at eGifter is on the job. And we don’t plan to clock out any time soon.

Share your Small Business Story at our Help Center.

#operationmainstreet #startsmall #somegoodnews #googlesmallbusiness #operationmainstreetsmallbusinessstories


April 8, 2020by Operation Main Street

Categories

  • Buy Local
  • Operation Main Street News

Tags

Chamber of Commerce Claim Your Town COVID-19 Free Local Business Directory Free Small Business Directory Gift Card Directory Gift Card Relief Gift Cards Local Businesses Long Island LongIsland.com Operation Main Street OperationMainStreet Queens Chamber of Commerce Shop Local Small Business Small Business Directory Small Business Relief Steve Bellone Suffolk Forward

Popular Posts

Saving Livelihoods: Operation Main Street

Saving Livelihoods: Operation Main Street

Teaming with LongIsland.com: A Free Local Business Directory Goes Live

Teaming with LongIsland.com: A Free Local Business Directory Goes Live

The Borough of Queens: Another Main Street, USA

The Borough of Queens: Another Main Street, USA

Help Them Buy Local: A Free Directory

Help Them Buy Local: A Free Directory

Recent Posts

  • Help Consumers Shop Local
  • Steve Bellone’s ‘Suffolk Forward’ Gift Card Program
  • Help Them Buy Local: A Free Directory
  • The Borough of Queens: Another Main Street, USA
  • Teaming with LongIsland.com: A Free Local Business Directory Goes Live

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