JCCC launches ‘Chamber Bucks’ shop local initiative
Does everyone remember Santa Bucks from a few years ago? You spend money at local businesses and for every $10 you get a buck to drop in a hopper to win cash and prizes. Well, Chamber Bucks is nothing like that. It is simply an addition to the current list of benefits for our members. You can think of it as a year-round gift certificate program that keeps your hard-earned dollars local and works just like a check (printed by Landmark Bank, has a check number, account and routing numbers, etc.). It is not a piece of paper printed at the office that is difficult to process or use. If your organization or business can accept a check, you can accept Chamber Bucks!
For example, instead of purchasing gift certificates for his 30 employees at random places and hoping that the employee likes to shop at that particular location, EMS Director and Chamber Board Member, Kenny Power, will now be able to purchase Chamber Bucks, giving his staff the choice to shop with over 170 chamber-member businesses and organizations. He will stop by the chamber office and pay face value for the Bucks made out in $10.00 increments. Upon purchase he will also receive 30 slips of paper listing the JCCC member locations where bucks are accepted. (Bucks are good for 6 months from the issued date.)
The money he uses to purchase Bucks will be deposited into a separate ‘Johnston County Chamber Bucks’ bank account. Once gifted and the employees begin visiting local businesses, merchants will accept Bucks when the total exceeds $10.00. No change is given back when using Bucks so get the most out of it! When the business has accepted the unexpired Buck, they will endorse the back and deposit it just like a check. The money then moves from the Chamber Bucks account to the business’ bank account. It’s that simple!
This is not a fundraiser for the Chamber. We will use it as a recruitment tool, but any money that is left in the bank account after Bucks have expired will be reinvested into the program for marketing purposes.
We recently received the table tents we designed to be placed at our member-businesses letting their patrons know that they accept Bucks. Chamber staff and volunteers will be making the rounds in the next couple of weeks to get them out. We are also looking at purchasing window clings to be placed under your JCCC logo decal that will say, ‘Chamber Bucks Accepted Here’.
Chamber Bucks may be purchased by anyone! Please use this unique opportunity to gift Chamber Bucks rather than VISA gift cards for a birthday, anniversary or Christmas. YOU can help Johnston County’s businesses flourish by making the conscious effort to shop local and by giving your friends and family the opportunity to see what our merchants have to offer! Chamber members range in industry from downtown retail to grocery, convenience stores, city and county services, realtors, banks, local and national organizations, churches, this publication, Murray State College, the Chickasaw Nation, and more.
Chamber Bucks may be purchased at the Johnston County Chamber of Commerce office located inside the Chickasaw Information Center on Main Street in Tishomingo, Monday-Friday, 8a-5p. If you would like to call ahead so that your order is ready to pick-up, dial 580-371-2175. We would like to thank our incredible partners, Murray State College and Landmark Bank, for their help in getting this program launched, and Kenny Power for seeing the potential of Chamber Bucks and assisting to get it going.
-Jordyn Frazier, Executive Director, JCCC