Small Business Development
Buy Local East Harlem
Support local small businesses by buy local, hiring local and keeping the community thriving.
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Supporting East Harlem Businesses
The Buy Local East Harlem initiative was launched in June 2017 thanks to the generous support of the Citi Community Development.
200+
BUSINESSES SUPPORTED
39
BLOCK FOOTPRINT
120,000+
People Reached
About Buy Local East Harlem
Moving East Harlem Forward
The Buy Local East Harlem initiative was launched in June 2017 thanks to the generous support of the Citi Community Development.
Opportunity
According to the 2016 East Harlem Commercial District Needs Assessment published by the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), over $804 million is spent outside the neighborhood each year. Institutional buyers purchase in such large quantities and frequency that even a slight change in their buying policy can cause a significant impact, thereby increasing small business sales and creating job opportunities here in East Harlem.
Vision
We want to encourage everyone in East Harlem, particularly larger organizations and entities, to support local businesses by creating relationships that will allow for the longevity of small businesses becoming suppliers. We want to create a model that is sustainable for long term success, having a positive impact on the merchant’s bottom line, increasing job opportunities and overall wellness in the East Harlem community.
Goals
Our goals are to:
- Relationship building
- Capacity building
- District marketing
Strategic Plan
To track the effectiveness of this initiative our plan is to hone in on a sample of merchants and walk them through the process, ensuring they get the assistance they need at each phase of becoming a corporate supplier. In order to accomplish this goal, we will:
- Identify products and services purchased by local anchor institutions and other entities.
- Determine which of those products and services are currently sold by East Harlem businesses, or could easily be provided by East Harlem businesses.
- Create an assessment of the business needs and current capacity.
- Create partnerships with organizations, city and state agencies who can assist small businesses with enhancing operations and access to capital.
- Assist merchants in increasing their use of free or inexpensive technology.
- Create mentorships with established business owners and newer merchants.
- Encourage collaborations and supplier partnerships among merchants on an as needed basis.
Marketing Approach
We want to create more than just a one time campaign. We project our campaign #BuyLocalEastHarlem will lend itself to casting a wider net and galvanizing the local community to purchase their goods here in East Harlem by the use of social media, video and traditional print distribution.
Economic Development Department
Union Settlement
EconomicDevelopment@unionsettlement.org
Funding for this project was provided by Citi Community Development
Explore
More On The Initiative
Discover how Buy Local East Harlem is building a stronger neighborhood by spotlighting local businesses, sharing success stories, and keeping the community informed through news, case studies, and updates.
