Led by the city’s Economic Development department, notably Sydney Yeseta, Assistant Manager for Economic Development, and Michael Flores, Coordinator for the Economic Development Department, alongside other city staff and its partners, the city of Lancaster, CA launched Open Rewards, a shop local app, in December 2022. The program allows consumers to earn and redeem rewards when they shop at eligible local businesses within the city of Lancaster. By allowing residents to earn rewards when they shop locally—all from the convenience of their smartphones—the program has transformed how resid ..read more

In the world of business retention & expansion (BR&E), project management is crucial to guiding different initiatives on varying timelines and degrees of complexity.  Successful project management embraces three components:  Having a central location for all necessary information Tracking the right information Sharing the information with the necessary internal stakeholders  In this article, we’ll dive into project management best practices and examples from communities across the country on their preferred project management software for BR&E. All the information ..read more

Consumer shopping experience refers to the decision-making process individuals go through when purchasing goods or services. It encompasses various factors such as preferences, attitudes, motivations, and perceptions that influence where, when, and how consumers shop. Shop local programs aim to encourage consumers to prioritize purchasing from local businesses within their community rather than larger chain stores or online retailers.  To effectively meet the needs of consumers, these programs must understand and address key aspects of the consumer shopping experience. This includes recog ..read more

At Bludot, our Open Rewards program powers shop local programs across the country. We recently caught up with the Arlington County, VA Economic Development (AED) BizLaunch team for a deep dive on their Open Rewards program.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=148FxUyAP9oWhat is Open Rewards? Open Rewards is a community-wide rewards program that stimulates the local economy by incentivizing consumers to shop local. The program lets consumers earn a percentage of rewards when they shop at the eligible businesses within the community, and can use the rewards they’ve earned at any other eligible ..read more

Nestled on the edge of several highway corridors, Johnstown, Colorado, is a municipality experiencing rapid growth. With a population surge from 12,000 to nearly 20,000 in just a few years, the town stands at the crossroads of agricultural heritage and urban expansion. Known for its small-town charm and strategic location, Johnstown has become a community evolving with the times.  In a recent interview, we had the opportunity to speak with Hannah Hill, the Town Clerk of Johnstown, about the challenges and opportunities accompanying the town's growth. With over a year and a half of experie ..read more

While most cities and neighborhoods streamline their business retention and expansion strategy to focus on supporting their current businesses, some cities are looking further ahead. Building relationships with your local business leaders and ,,developing a strategy for community engagement are key pillars to the foundation of an economic development strategy.  However, as your businesses grow and community needs become more apparent, it can be easier to encourage new business and developments to break ground when you can provide the land they may need. We spoke with Lilibeth Leon, t ..read more

One of the best ways to engage with your local community is by conducting regular business visits. The key to a successful business visit consists of 3 things: being prepared, establishing a useful and friendly rapport and active follow-up. We dive into some easy ways to make sure your business visits go well as well as best practices from communities across the country. Where to begin when conducting a successful business visit If you’re new to starting a business visitation program, it can be difficult to determine where to start. However, the easiest place to start with any new project is t ..read more

Nestled in the heart of eastern Oregon, Hermiston has embraced collaboration and innovation in its economic development strategy. In recent years, Hermiston has witnessed a fast pace of growth, driven by new residents and the establishment of data centers. We spoke with Val Hoxie, the Executive Director of the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce about what makes her community unique and how they’re supporting their local economy.  Developing key collaborations in Hermiston’s economic development strategy Collaboration is key to Hermiston's success, and at the heart of this synergy is the partne ..read more

When investigating new softwares and workflows, it can be challenging to find the right set of economic development tools. Economic development departments across the nation have different budgets, familiarity with digital tools and willingness to invest in solutions that may increase the efficiency and efficacy of their work. After talking with our customers from all across the nation, we’ve identified a 4 step process to find the tools that could work for you. Step 1: Understanding your department’s goals, process and willingness for adopting new economic development tools The first step in ..read more

‘Tis the season! With the holidays quickly approaching, many cities are thinking of ways to encourage their residents to shop local this holiday season. While there are many ,benefits to shopping local, the holidays can be an extremely important time for local businesses to build community and revenue that can sustain them for months to come. Below is a simple guide to launching a successful shop local campaign this season of joy. Step 1: Decide how you’ll kick off your shop local this holiday season campaign Depending on your community’s culture, you may want to have a kick off or highlight e ..read more