Las Vegas chamber launches advertising campaign
The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce on Monday unveiled a series of programs designed to save local businesses that have been hammered during the recession.
The Viva Las Business: Vegas is Coming Back campaign aims to unify local groups in economic recovery efforts, chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Matt Crosson said during a news conference at the chamber's headquarters.
"Las Vegas is going to come back," Crosson said. "The rebuilding starts today. We are all in this together."
The chamber is encouraging local residents and businesses to buy products from local small businesses. The push includes the distribution of 250,000 discount cards to the chamber's roughly 6,000 members.
Viva Las Business includes a business training partnership with SCORE counselors. The chamber will also distribute a Small Business Comeback Kit that includes inexpensive tools to help small businesses.
Some features of the kit, such as the chamber's online 24/7 help line, are accessible to all local businesses. However, marketing and promotional help will be available only to chamber members.
"It's time to start focusing on the good news," Crosson said. " Viva Las Business is about small businesses. When they start hiring, the economy will come back. The economy is way down, the foreclosure rate is the highest in the country, the unemployment rate is the highest in the country. But the fact is, we are going to come back."
Viva Las Business will use newspaper advertisements and billboards to encourage local residents and businesses to shop at local businesses.
The 24/7 help line, the chamber said, will include a business forum that will let business owners ask each other questions and share insights.
Chamber members can now visit the organization's website to access credit-resource information. Crosson said talks are continuing with local lenders and that he couldn't release more details until next month.
With Nevada leading the nation in unemployment, Crosson said more people may decide to start their own businesses. That could increase the need for help from programs like the chamber's, he said.
"I realize it is hard to run a small business, and a lot of laid-off people are starting small businesses to survive," Crosson said.
Startups will be able to get help from SCORE business counselors; the group already has a working relationship with the chamber. Now, SCORE will offer four workshops on the key components of starting a small business, said Greg Twedt, chairman of SCORE's local chapter.
"We have a new program called 'Business QuickSTART,' " he said. "It's a series of workshops that allow businesses to vet their businesses."
Ricardo's Mexican Restaurant owner Bob Ansara praised Viva Las Business.
"We have access to the website at 11 o'clock at night with a keystroke," he said. "It gives small businesses hope when times are tough."
Contact reporter Valerie Miller at vmiller@lvbusinesspress.com or 702-387-5286.
