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Voting Matters for Locally Epic

Locally Epic, Greenville

It’s early November, which means it’s time for some local crank to write an annual letter to the newspaper about voter apathy.

We know the letter by heart. Local elections matter most because that is what affects you the most. And by most, they mean tax dollars. And by tax dollars, they mean how they are spent. And then there is the usual hokum about how our  children’s children will be affected by this vote. Yada, yada, yada.

I have been them reading my entire life. First growing up in Nebraska. Then in my early professional career with stops on in Nashville, Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Florida. Finally, I have been reading them in Yeah That Greenville, South Carolina.

Well, this year, I have opted to be the local crank, but I am going to write you a different  letter. I am not going to write about how 10 percent turnout is pathetic. I am not going to write about democracy and our great nation. I am not going to write about the founding fathers. No, I am going to write, quickly, about why you need to vote locally and then, more importantly, how to increase voter turnout.

So, why vote locally? Because this is Greenville. We have done more. We have accomplished more. We should strive to be a place that votes better locally than anywhere else in America because we strive to be a better place than anywhere else in the country.

And by Greenville, I mean all of Greenville. Not just the City. Not just County offices. I mean all of the cities – Travelers Rest, Greer, Mauldin, Simpsonville, Fountain Inn — located in our 795 square miles. I mean the fire districts. I mean the sewer districts. I mean the school board. I mean anything else where people get elected.

So how do we do it? Read on:

  1. If you have read this far, you likely are already somebody who votes locally. Good. Now, here is what you need to do. Get a pair of scissors. Cut this out of the Journal. Make some copies. Staple them to the doors of the houses of your neighbors, who don’t vote. If you are reading this online, print it out and go straight to step four with the stapling. If your neighbor complains, tell them if they voted in local elections they could help enact law that prevent you from stapling things to their doors. They will look at you strangely. They will vote next time around.
  2. If you are not someone who votes locally, and are still reading this far, I have news for you. Your neighbor is stapling this to your door as you read. Thank them. Then go and vote on Tuesday.
  3. Get social. Yes, there is an election this week in the City of Greenville. You may have decided who you are voting for. More than likely, you have no idea who is running. But if you do know about next Tuesday, tell people to vote. Put it on Facebook. Do a Snapchat. Tweet it. Email your friends. Call them next Tuesday. You don’t have to endorse anyone. Just tell them to vote. Invite them for a beer after work. Tell them it’s a hot new bar called The Voting Place and give them the address of their local polling station. If they show up, they should have ID with them. It’s a win-win.
  4. Get out of your comfort zone. I live off Haywood Road. I see yard signs everywhere. I see signs as I drive to work downtown. You know where I don’t see that many if any? Dunbar. Nicholtown.  Pettigru. White Oak. And many more neighborhoods that aren’t as politically active on the local level this time around. Large neighborhoods where informed voters get to the polls, but everyone else may not even realize what is happening next week. If you have time, go to those neighborhoods. Put up a two-dollar yard signs that says vote on Tuesday. Even if gets five people to vote, that is a difference you made. If 50 people do this, that is 250 votes. All of a sudden, people start to take notice.

The reality is we live in an amazing little slice of our wonderful nation. If we want it to continue to be that kind of place for people of all races, genders, creeds, background and the like, then we must vote locally.

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Don’t Underestimate Your Role in Making Greenville Great

How much difference does a dollar really make these days? Maybe more than you think.

Take Greenville – we’re fortunate to live in such a  thriving city that’s earned well-deserved national recognition as being a true gem of the Southeast. Now granted, part of that is because of our geographic location, and since that’s priceless, where does your buck fit it?

Think about taking a stroll along Main Street, or antiquing in Travelers Rest, or finding the perfect Christmas gifts in the shops along the Augusta Road business district. What if those businesses didn’t have local support? Would Main Street be as warm and inviting without as many occupied storefronts? Would there be The Shops at Greenridge? Would Greenville be the same city we treasure now?

There’s no denying the convenience of the internet – it is, after all, in your phone, and your phone’s in your pocket or purse (or more likely, your hand) right now. But about that buck: For every dollar you spend in a Greenville business, a whopping 75 cents stays right here in Greenville. Even if you’re shopping at a Woodruff Road big box (and we all do, right?), 35 cents of every buck you spend stays local. In either case, that’s cash that flows through local employees, managers and owners and into other local businesses like grocery stores and gas stations. It buys cars from local dealerships. It buys homes constructed by local builders. It is our economic life blood. If Upstate consumers pivot $20 a week away for a year from  online or a big box store to a locally owned store that would in increase the local Upstate economy by $300 million.

Compare that scenario to this: For every dollar you spend with non-local online businesses, only one cent remains in the local economy. One penny, vs. the 99 that won’t stay here. So in the bigger picture, what’s your buck worth online vs. locally – what’s it worth to you?

But we all value convenience, and the internet does make it easy to find deals. Fortunately, the internet is an open playing field, and there are ways that local businesses can participate. Take Yelp – which has become successful because it’s all about local food and local folks’ opinions. And while Yelp probably takes a lot of our bucks home to San Francisco, the company also understands and believes in the value of local businesses, to the point that Yelp even provides training to help local small businesses learn how to make the most of social media.

That type of help is critical, because while the internet is open to all, it isn’t always cheap or easy. In truth, there’s no shortage of barriers that keep small businesses from taking full advantage of the internet’s power. For a business owner, joining the online world represents a substantial investment, often with seemingly few tangible results.

There’s now another way you can use the internet to easily find what you’re looking for, right here in the Greenville area. Locally Epic, which is a local startup, works to connect local shoppers and businesses, thereby combining the convenience and power of the internet with the value of shopping locally. Consumers can now access a mobile-friendly online platform to find local offers and promotions from a wide range of businesses  in real time, while business owners can effectively reach new audiences. Think about it: As much fun as exploring quaint shops can be, more often than not, you’re probably looking for the best price on a specific item, or the best way to solve a certain need. And you’re probably on a tight schedule. At times like these, you can now connect with the best solution right here, right now. That’s true convenience.

 

Locally Epic is also working to create ways for small business to get noticed. You’ve probably downloaded an app or two that promise local bargains, but these usually provide pre-selected “deals” that rarely coincide with your needs. In the long run, a lot of people wind up deleting these apps from their phones, which impacts the small, local businesses that don’t have the resources to keep investing in new apps to meet market needs. Now local companies can share one app, and by creating value for consumers and businesses alike, that app is more likely to get used – not purged.

And “value” takes us back to those concepts of quality of life, being fortunate enough to live in the Upstate, and that buck that I hope is still burning a hole in your pocket. It’s your buck, and it’s your choice, but before you spend it, I do hope you’ll consider that every dollar you spend represents your opportunity to have a positive economic impact on our region and the Greenville lifestyle we’ve come to enjoy and, yes — value.

 

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Zoom, Zoom

Locally Epic, Euro Auto Show 2017

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Locally Epic will serve as the official app of the East Coast’s premier European car show, the Euro Auto Show, returning to Greenville this October.

The festival, now in its 22nd year, will take place on October 20 and 21 at the Preserve at Verdae, located off Verdae Boulevard in Greenville. The two-day event includes a craft beer tour of Greenville, automotive technology sessions, a full day car show attracting over 400 European cars, and an automotive film festival. This year’s attendees will be able to find more information on the Locally Epic app.

Locally Epic is an app that allows local consumers via a mobile platform to enhance their ability to find local offers and promotions from a wide range of businesses in real time, while allowing businesses to effectively reach new audiences. The app can be downloaded here or found on Itunes or GooglePlay.

Interested attendees can also purchase tickets for Saturday’s events here. General admission tickets can be prepurchased for $10 or purchased the day of for $15.

“European automobiles and the industries that support them are a crucial part of this area’s economy,” said Chase Michaels, the company’s founder. “It doesn’t get more Locally Epic than the impact of European cars on the Upstate.”

About Locally Epic:

Locally Epic is the next generation of real-time location-based marketing technology for businesses and consumers. Locally Epic leverages time, space and message deployment with real-time aspects of engagement, implementation, customer loyalty and consumer acquisition metrics. Learn more at www.locallyepic.com.

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You seek the Quest

This Saturday, Locally Epic is undertaking its biggest venture yet, The Epic Quest.

In case you  haven’t been following us on Facebook or seen the numerous media stories, The Epic Quest is an adventure race/scavenger hunt being held around Greenville. It starts at 11 a.m. at the downtown arena, and will take close to 100 teams (that’s 200 people !) around some of the most epic spots around Greenville. You will see them wearing their bright yellow Locally Epic shirts.

The top 10 finishing teams will then compete that night during an intermission at a Greenville Swamp Rabbits game to slap a puck into an open net.  The first team to “score” gets $2,500, the second team gets $1,500 and the final team gets $1,000.

We have been planning this event for the past two months now — meeting each Friday with our partners (In the Know Upstate and Complete Public Relations) to discuss the best ways to make this event work. And you should be thankful they were helping. We wanted people to crawl though pits of mud and jump through flaming hoops in order to compete. They suggested doing social media posts at locally epic spots.  They won the discussion.

But who will win the money?

That will be decided Saturday. Make sure to follow us during the day on Facebook and Instagram for updates from The Epic Quest.

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Shout out from the Greenville News

We got a nice feature in this week’s Greenville News.

While thousands of people are gathered downtown to enjoy food, music and fun at Fall for Greenville this weekend, dozens of two-person teams will be working to win prize money in an adult scavenger hunt.

Epic Quest, a scavenger hunt put on by Locally Epic, invites up to 50 teams of two to sign up to participate in the all-day hunt. The date for the event was specifically chosen because the added crowds in Greenville would make the mission more challenging.

Teams on the Epic Quest will visit more than 20 local businesses and landmarks to earn points. They’ll add to their total by taking part in a social media challenge along the way.

The first place team wins $2,500, second place team wins $1,500 and the third place team wins $1000. Participating teams will be sent more details as the event draws near.

Read the rest of the story here.

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A double shot of TV exposure

Fun day as we woke up to feature stores from Fox Carolina and WYFF talking about the upcoming Epic Quest this Saturday in Greenville.

You can follow links to the WYFF story here and Fox here.

From the WYFF story:

“We thought a fun obstacle would be Greenville itself, and Fall for Greenville definitely will make people think of new routes to get to things,” Dave Ropes, Locally Epic chief marketing officer, said. “While not everything will be in downtown, there will be spots there, so people will have to plan how to get there.”

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Why local matters!

How do you actually Shop Local?

We often hear people need to Shop Local. It’s part of Greenvile’s mantra for almost two decades – ever since rapid growth really started hitting here.

We are asked to shop local, but never hear why we should. Here’s why.

Big Box Brands and Internet Retail are destroying local economies. How is this possible?

It’s based on the 75-35-1 rule. That is, for every dollar spent with local businesses, 75 cents stays local. Whereas, only 35 cents spent through big Box Brands stays in the local economy and only 1 cent spent on Internet retail is returned to the community.

Did you know that local businesses invest more in local labor, pay more in local taxes, raise more for local charities and spend more time on community and local government events and programs.

Local stores and businesses help sustain vibrant, engaged, walkable downtown areas that create a fun and enjoyable atmosphere for all local residents and attract tourists to the market. Think about downtown Greenville. There is a reason it is filled with locally owned businesses. City leaders saw that need and pursued them. They didn’t want a cookie cutter downtown.

Local businesses must have a way to compete against National and Big Box Brands large advertising and marketing budgets. Locally Epic offers a way for local businesses to connect to local consumers thru a mobile app that allows them to effectively and more efficiently reach their local customers with real time messaging and promotional offers. Locally Epic provides a measurable ROI on their marketing dollars, something that traditional media cannot.

So if local consumers download the Locally Epic App to learn about and discover new businesses the local economy will grow. Remember, two to three times more money stays in the local community stays here if you buy from a locally owned business.

Together we can energize and grow the local economy.

All it takes is for us to take $20 a week that you are already spending – Pivot that money away from a big box brand or the Internet to a locally owned business for the next 52 weeks…If all of us who live in the Upstate would do that we would increase the Local economy by $300 million dollars a year.

Just put your money where your home and heart is. Support your friends, family neighbors and yourself. Invest in our community. Help create a stronger and healthier Upstate by keeping your hard earned money local.

Locally Epic is also working to create ways for small business to get noticed. You’ve probably downloaded an app or two that promise local bargains, but these usually provide pre-selected “deals” that rarely coincide with your needs. In the long run, a lot of people wind up deleting these apps from their phones, which impacts the small, local businesses that don’t have the resources to keep investing in new apps to meet market needs. Now local companies can share one app, and by creating value for consumers and businesses alike, that app is more likely to get used – not purged.

And “value” takes us back to those concepts of quality of life, being fortunate enough to live in the Upstate, and that buck that I hope is still burning a hole in your pocket. It’s your buck, and it’s your choice, but before you spend it, I do hope you’ll consider that every dollar you spend represents your opportunity to have a positive economic impact on our region and the Greenville lifestyle we’ve come to enjoy and, yes — value.

 

 

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Locally Epic adds two to its Board of Advisors

Locally Epic has named Allen Grumbine and Joe Erwin to its first Board of Advisors.

The Locally Epic app engages local consumers via a mobile platform that allows them to enhance their ability to find local offers and promotions from a wide range of businesses in real time, while allowing businesses to effectively reach new audiences.

The app also creates a mass way for small business to get noticed. A lot of people are deleting apps from their phone, while many small businesses don’t have the resources to create new apps to meet market needs. Locally Epic allows companies to share the app, and by creating value to consumers the app is more likely to get added – not purged.

Grumbine and Erwin bring a wealth of expertise and strengths as the first Board of Advisor members.

Erwin is the co-founder and former president of national marketing agency Erwin Penland, the co-founder of Clemson University’s Erwin Center for Brand Communications, and as president of Erwin Creates, created and opened Endeavor in May 2016.

A Clemson graduate, Erwin began his career in Greenville, but soon moved to New York to join one of the largest marketing agencies of that time. He and his wife Gretchen – also a marketing professional – returned to Greenville in 1986 to open Erwin Penland with one account and two employees, and over the next 30 years grew it to more than 400 people, with offices in Greenville and New York and a client roster that included Verizon Wireless, LLBean, Denny’s and DisneyXD. Erwin has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the South Carolina Special Olympics, the Governor’s Commission on Teacher Quality, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, the American Association of Advertising Agencies and the 4A’s Foundation (which he currently chairs).
Through Erwin Creates, he is actively involved with day-to-day activities at Endeavor, provides business consulting services to large and small agencies, and is on the leadership team of Clemson’s Erwin Center for Brand Communications.

For 41 years, Allen Grumbine counseled banks, other lenders, creditors and businesses in complex financial, lending and workout transactions and in bankruptcy proceedings. In that connection, he handled UCC matters, complex contracts and lending arrangements and the purchase and sale of many businesses. Much of that work came as Managing Partner in Womble Carlyle’s Greenville Office. During his distinguished career, he was honored in The Best Lawyers in America in both the category of Corporate Law and the category of Bankruptcy and Creditor Rights; in Super Lawyers in the category of Banking; and in Chambers USA in the category of Corporate/M&A. He has also been listed in the Legal Elite of the Upstate. Grumbine is a graduate of Leadership Greenville Class VI, has served as Chair of the Greenville Metro YMCA and of the Y Endowment Corporation and is currently on the Boards of Y Camp Greenville and the South Carolina Environmental Law Project.

“We are very excited to have these two wonderful Greenville business and civic leaders helping Locally Epic grow in the community,” said Chase Michaels, the company’s CEO.