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What Will We Actually Do?
Ideas, concepts, themes and opinions; they’re easy to express and sound nice, but you want to know the tangible. What will we really be doing?
1
A Local Business Directory
Initially launching as a page on our website, the local directory will contain Kamloops-only local businesses. Following will be a printed directory available by mail, and down the line we would like to integrate the directory into an app interface to use on-the-go.
2
Digital & Print Media
The monthly newsletter will be available via the website and a printed counterpart down the line, and will contain what you have read in this mock-issue. We also plan to create an annual holiday catalogue, with (surprise!) only local products included.
3
Events & Other Future Projects
to be announced
Along with our base operations, we intend to organize and host events in collaboration with businesses and other organizations to create new, unique, and memorable experiences for everyone in Kamloops. There may be a few traditional artisan markets, but our focus will be on events that don’t exist yet, and shine a spotlight on niche communities and activities that are often neglected recreationally.
Local Stars
and Our Local Score System
Each and every month in our newsletter, we will shine a spotlight on a Local Star, a business that is local to the core. Based on our Local Score system, we’ll champion those that are owned and operated by the people who live here and support the community around them.
Once a business has been assessed, they will receive a zero to five star Local Score rating. In the future, we will have window decals and plaques for businesses to display in their storefronts, and equivalents for digital businesses. This will help consumers know their best local options at a glance while walking down the street, scrolling, or browsing our directory.
More About The Local Score
Who is scored?
We endeavour to score every business listed in our directory. This may include home-based businesses, mobile businesses, those with a brick-and-mortar location, franchises, and any business that operates in the city of Kamloops. We will not score Non-Profit organizations as they are already an integral part of our community.
What are they scored on?
Business are scored on a zero-to-four scale across four categories. All businesses (regardless of industry) are scored for their locality and transparency of that information: 1. Ownership Locality; Is the business owned by a local, regional, provincial, national, or international resident or company? Is that information public on their platforms or website? 2. Service Region and Locations; Do they list their locations or service region, and are those regions/locations in Kamloops, the surrounding area, the province, the country, or international? 3. Brand Independence; Is the business or company independent of any corporate banner, flag, branding chain, franchise, or other entity that controls branding, or not? The remaining category is a modular one, that changes based on industry or compatibility to a business' operations, to ensure a more fair and equitable assessment. The total score out of 16 maximum points is converted to a percentage to assign an up to 5 Star score.
Where is the information coming from?
All of the scoring is based off of easily accessible and public information provided by the businesses in question via their website or other public platforms (such as Instagram and Facebook.) This is an intentional choice to not only avoid legal pitfalls or issues of publicizing private information, but also to reward businesses for transparency with their consumers and encourage a more active contribution to the community.
Why are we doing this?
The Local Score system has been created in pursuit of our mission to make it as easy as possible for consumers to choose local first. "Local" means something different for each and every business, more than it doesn't. The Local Score helps you to understand just how integrated into the community a particular business is. Do they prioritize hiring local, do they contribute to local charities, do they contribute more or less to the local economy? These are some of the ways a business may be more, or less, local. We want Kamloopsians to be able to make more informed consumer choices, and The Local Score is how we are addressing that.
How can a business improve their score?
If you are a business that The Local Loop has assigned a Local Score rating to, and you disagree with our rating, you can improve your Score. Our system is based on publicly available information, therefore, increasing the quantity and quality of information via your website or main social platform is the primary method to increase your rating. However, it will be the onus on the business owner to reach out and inform us of the changes made, so that we can re-assess the information. What if all of your information to be scored on is available and yet you are still dissatisfied with your Local Score? The answer is to take action, to contribute in more meaningful and visible ways, to the community. Create, run, or partner with programs and initiatives that build and grow the community.
Contact Us
Say hi, send a message, tell us a story, make a suggestion, give your opinion, ask a question... or three!
Whatever you want to do, here's where you do that. Or, if it tickles your fancy, send us an email at thelocalloopyka@gmail.com