Two neat RelyLocal commercials from other owners in Columbia, SC and Collierville, TN.

I thought these were a couple of pretty neat RelyLocal commercials made from other Relylocal owners in Columbia, SC. and Collierville, TN.  It's very exciting to be a part of something that is truly making a local difference in communities around the country.

An inside look at how RelyLocal.com helps our local businesses...

For those Facebook fans that may own a local business or know someone in town who is a local business owner I thought that I would share some insight on just how RelyLocal.com Prattville, Millbrook and Wetumpka genuinely helps our local businesses.

Today's market is really a "Global" market due to the internet.  Not only are people able to shop online and purchase online but on the flip side they are also able to scope out local businesses in another city or state that may provide a product or service that they need.

For Example, Let's say that you live in Illinois and your wife is taking a beach trip with her lady friends and find themselves in the Prattville area without AC for their car in the dead of summer.  Maybe the ladies don't own a smart phone that is internet ready (which would be rare these days) and call one of their husbands back in Illinois and ask what they should do.  The husband goes to Google and types in "automotive a/c repair prattville alabama".  The result would be...

Maybe he didn't type in "Automotive A/C repair Prattville Alabama" and he just simply Google searched "Mechanic Prattville Alabama".  The result would be...

The red arrows point to RelyLocal.com businesses.  These keywords and several thousand a month bring visitors from all around the globe to RelyLocal.com Prattville, Millbrook and Wetumpka.  The two pictures below show you how many different countries, states and cities have hit on our RelyLocal just through keyword hits over the past 21 days.

35 different countries have viewed our RelyLocal.com over the past 21 days

44 different states in the U.S.

And 58 different cities in Alabama

Overall over the past 21 days we have had 2,160 visits to our RelyLocal.com via Keyword searches on Google, Yahoo, Bing...

Still Shopping for Christmas? Here are just a few of RelyLocal.com gift shops!

Just a few of the great local gift shops on RelyLocal.com.  Click on any picture to be take to their website.

A Touch of New York in Downtown Prattville

Victorias Boutique in Downtown Prattville

Fanci Free Boutique & Garden Cafe in Downtown Prattville

 

The Studio and The Vogue Gift Shops and Fashion Apparel in Millbrook

 

Re-Threads Preloved Clothing Store in Pratts Mill Shopping Center Prattville

Cliche's for the day...

Your worst humiliation is only someone else's momentary entertainment.
Karen Crockett

You don't stop laughing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop laughing.
Michael Pritchard

Men will spend their health getting wealth. Then, gladly pay all they have earned to get health back.
Mike Murdock

The 3/50 Project

How did The 3/50 Project begin?

As many great things do...by accident.

The first week in March 2009 sowed the seeds for what would later become a firestorm—
Monday: Oprah does a show instructing consumers to stop spending money on anything that was non-necessity

Tuesday: CBS News reports that “Consumer spending drives 70% of the economy. When consumers put their wallets away, the economy has trouble making a U-turn.”

Friday: In a guest spot on the Today Show, Erin Burnett from CNBC talks about how psychology plays into the economy and the importance of innovation in times of difficulty

Sunday: Erin’s back, this time on Meet the Press, chiding the national media for taking negative hyperbole into the stratosphere

Mix those together with a deep seated desire to create a message that’s positive and achievable, and, well...you get a blog post written on March 11, 2009, giving birth to The 3/50 Project.

The next week, I threw together a free flyer businesses could crank out of their desktop printers to hand customers. Within 48 hours, I received more than 350 emails asking “What else have you got?”

So I built the website you see today, launching it mid-afternoon on Monday, March 30th.

In the first seven days, more than 7,600 people found it (8,600+ if you count repeat visits).

Be careful what you blog about. It just might change the world. Or at least someone’s world.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE 3/50 Project

The Weight of Walmart

Here’s a great graphic from Frugal Dad that gives some great visual representations of just how HUGE WalMart really is… Rather than spoil the creativity with a summary of the data, check it out for yourself:

Irony in Advertising!

Sometimes the News and Advertising don't alway go well together...

Does this make you wonder what kind of car hit the teacher?  Maybe the accelerator got stuck?

Definitely not the page this ad should have popped up on!

Not sure I want to use that Dinner for two coupon...

Put YourFeetUp.com??? 

Sometimes our advertising dollars don't always work the way we hope for! 

No disclaimer is made to the authenticity of these photo's. 

Just for Fun! Two Mikeys You May Remember.

Just thought this was funny and wanted to share.  As I was browsing vintage Life Cereal ads with Mikey I found another Life Cereal ad with a different Mikey.  :)  Enjoy

Never Judge a Book by its Cover...

We've all heard the old saying about "Never Judge a Book by its Cover." Over the last year that saying has rang more true to me than it ever has in the past.  I have lived in Prattville for almost 30 years now, but it wasn't until starting RelyLocal in the area that I have had the opportunity to visit the great local businesses that are here offering their products and services to us.  Two years ago many of the businesses that are listed on RelyLocal.com, I admit, were never even considered as one of my local options.  Why?  Probably because I judged the face of their business as a direct reflection on the products and services they have inside.  Example...

J & J Industrial Supply

J & J Industrial Supply is located in downtown Prattville on Hwy. 14 West across from the Library and in front of Fat Boy's Barbecue.  There is nothing eye catching about J & J that just draws you in like a Big Box store may have and many of us pass by hundreds of times a year and have never considered what they have to offer inside.  Even more importantly though, may never know that some of the friendliest local business owners in Prattville operate the place.

J & J Industrial Supply carries name brand products that we all use every day and would probably become a frequent shopping stop once you discover what's going on inside like I did almost one year ago...

So, next time you're passing J & J Industrial Supply in downtown Prattville why don't you stop in and say hi to the staff and take a look at the great products they have in store for you.  Many local businesses in town may not have the flashiest exteriors and the greatest commercials running on TV, but they all have a sense of pride in their businesses and do their best to ensure that you have a great shopping experience while you're there.

What is the Purpose of RelyLocal.com?

In July of 2010, RelyLocal.com was established for the communities of Prattville, Millbrook and Wetumpka.  Since last July RelyLocal has grown from 0 businesses to almost 200 in less than 11 months.  With an average of around 16 new businesses being added monthly, RelyLocal.com has truly shown a spirit among local business owners that we believed was there before we began.

"What is the goal?"  Our goal is a very simple and honest attempt to rally the local leaders in our community to help build a reliable platform for local business owners to interact with residents and effectively convey their business information to them.  RelyLocal.com allows residents of this community to easily and effectively find the local business information that they are looking for on their own time.  RelyLocal.com doesn't bombard your mailbox, clutter your streets, interrupt your favorite TV show or radio station, or fill up your email inbox.  RelyLocal allows you to get the most out of the Internet connection that you pay monthly for and allows you the ability get to know the local businesses in your area on your time.  No more searching endlessly through other global Internet search engines to find the few "true" local businesses that you were hoping to find that carried the product or service that you were seeking, and no more online directories pointing you in the direction of a local business that no longer exists. 

New residents of the Prattville area will no longer spend years in our community before they know just half of their local business options.  New residents will immediately be able to feel like they have lived here for years and contribute to our local economy much sooner rather than later. 

We hope that you like your new online business directory and proudly continue to support our local businesses and understand how much it means to them to have your continued business and your new business. 

Eye It...Try It...Buy It! Chevrolet's First Again!

I was browsing around some 1939 Life Magazines and came across this advertisement for Chevrolet's Vacuum Power Shift!  Apparently in 1939 we had the ability to change gears with the click of a finger?  I wonder what happened to that bit of genius?  I searched for information about it online and couldn't find anything.  Just curious...

 

"Drive it Once and you'll drive it always"  That's what I'm talking about.  This advertisement has me sold and I can't wait to dress up the family like the Cleaver's and head over to Larry Puckett Chevrolet and get one of these bad boys!



The World's Easiest Gear Shift and even better is that it has 

Unitized Knee Action!

I don't know exactly what that is, but it doesn't sound like

something that I would want to have.

How a Local Business is Making a Local Difference

Did you hear that?  That’s the sound of me dragging out my soap box.  I need to vent just a little bit about people in this town, this county, this state, and this country – whining incessantly about the downfall of the economy!!  Why don’t we quit complaining – show a little American spirit (not to mention some home grown smarts) and help ourselves climb out of this hole we currently find ourselves in? 

‘How?’ you ask. ‘What can I do!? I’m just one person...’

Well – here is a suggestion that each and every one of us should take to heart:  Let’s come together and start putting money back where it belongs; in our community, right here at home.  Do you want to make a difference? Well then… SHOP LOCAL!!

I’m here atop my digital soapbox so that I may introduce you to a business which was founded on a fervent desire to support our local economy and aid in its growth and development. This company exists in order to arm you with information that will not only help bolster our local economy, but that will ultimately result in a stronger and more stable economy for our Nation as a whole.

RelyLocal.com

RelyLocal.com provides our community with a reliable online source for invaluable information about locally owned businesses. Here you will find information on our areas treasure trove of locally owned shops as well as a multitude of coupons to use while discovering the benefits of ‘shopping local’. RelyLocal.com also aims to provide us all with comprehensive coverage of local news and community events.  It should be a favorite on your web browser and your friend on Facebook. My family and I have already made RelyLocal.com a part of our digital life and very soon we will all be able to incorporate it through Twitter as well.

As a citizen of Prattville, Millbrook, Wetumpka or any one of the surrounding communities, RelyLocal.com is the “one-stop” for nearly all of your shopping needs.  With countless local businesses already signed up as members, RelyLocal.com is your number one source for finding the discounts you want at the stores you love! This site will also serve as your guide for discovering the local shops you didn’t even know were there to love!

 If you think you need the big chain stores to find what you’re looking for, you will be shocked at the quality and variety of products and services offered by locally owned businesses right in your own backyard. Until recently, there was no dependable or detailed source where we could find information on exactly what local businesses existed in our community.  Fortunately for all of us, that is no longer the case.  Dozens of categories, each with multiple listings, give us everything we need to know and much more, all conveniently located on one website.  No flipping through the phonebook, no digging through unwanted links from search engines, no clipping coupons out of the Sunday paper.

 For those of you out there that ARE business owners’ around town, teaming up with RelyLocal.com is a MUST! As a member of the Rely Team, you will have your own web page, inexpensive advertising, innumerable networking opportunities, and the knowledge that you are helping your community and others like yourself.

Personally, when I heard about RelyLocal.com and what they are all about, I immediately wanted to know how I could get involved.  I’m tired of watching my favorite shops close their doors permanently because the money they need to stay open isn’t coming in.  I don’t want my friends and neighbors to have to struggle so hard to make ends meet, all while simply trying to provide a service and improve the communities we call home. I don’t want my own hard earned money pouring into the hands of corporate owners who will never know or care about me or my community. I am ready to see my money and my time go towards improving my own hometown and the lives of my neighbors, rather than thoughtlessly sending my money overseas by relying solely on the large chains and the products which they import from foreign lands. I urge any and all of you who desire for your community to be a happy and healthy one, one that has a vibrant economy and lively local commerce, one that we would all be proud to call home…Check out RelyLocal.com in order to discover all that your community has to offer and start making a difference. 

By Christen Huffman