Since the impacts of COVID-19 first became apparent, Longmont’s business support agencies have been working to provide resources for local retailers, members of the hospitality industry, startups, and other companies. No fewer than 13 organizations, together known as the Advance Longmont Partnership, coordinated multiple efforts.
Now, the collective is offering to help businesses grow their online presence, one of the strongest sales channels available during the pandemic.
The platform “would promote buying and selling locally … and would connect customers to area businesses for all their needs, like a Longmont-centric Etsy,” the Longmont Downtown Development Authority stated in a recent newsletter.
The LDDA describes the proposed online entity much like an extended directory, including a listing of any business that wanted to participate. If companies currently sell online, the platform will lead viewers to their sales sites. If not, the platform would offer an overview of the business.
There would be no charge for businesses to be part of the platform, and interested companies can see an example of a similar website at directeats.com.
The proposed additional support is a fresh idea for Longmont. It is so new that one of the platform’s proponents, LDDA Executive Director Kimberlee McKee, called it “just a concept” but she underscored how interested she was in getting feedback from businesses.
One of Old Town Longmont’s newest businesses, 2-month-old Mystic Sisters, hadn’t heard of the program until asked about it. Owner Eleanor Perrault said she had many questions, including initial concerns about preventing items from selling out online.
“This is one of the reasons I haven’t set up an online store yet. I don’t know if I could keep up with it unless there was an easy way to do it,” she said.
Even with her concerns, Perrault was intrigued by the possibility. She said she recognizes the importance of an online channel to reach customers, but she has to balance that with other demands of a business owner that holds a full-time job.
“I don’t even have time to do my own social media and all the online stuff. I had to hire someone for that,” Perrault said.
Although it is in its earliest stages, the effort could evolve to something more complex. Currently, the partnership is looking for businesses to provide a stronger sense of what kind of online support could help. Interested organizations are asked to complete a four-question survey about their needs.
