Oakland Business District Leadership Summit

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Oakland Business DistrictLeadership Summit

• Oakland Merchants Leadership Forum
• July 15, 2008

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Who is Here

• BID Managers
• District Leaders
• District Leader-Curious
• Business Owners in Districts
• Interested Residents, Others

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Why We Are Here

• Find the most effective ways to communicate /
  share ideas among
• Business district leaders / BID managers
• Businesses
• OMLF
• City government
• Potential partners and service providers
• Provide an OMLF Refresher / Primer
• Publicize Oakland Grown campaign and membership

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Agenda

• Overview of OMLF
• Oakland Grown
• Discussion - Learn about you
• Communication methods
• Communications needs
• Overview of Social Networking Tools for Business
  Leaders
• Facebook
• Twitter

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Meeting Protocol

• Were being timed!
• Comments should be
• Relevant to the topic at hand
• Relevant to all districts, not specific to one
  neighborhood
• Save other comments for end/ mixer (write them
  down so you dont forget!)

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OMLF

• Independent non-profit organization
• OMLFs mission is to improve the quality of life
  for Oaklands residents and small business owners
  by strengthening and unifying their neighborhood
  business districts.
• OMLF strives to increase economic development,
  community pride and civic participation in
  Oakland.

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OMLF

• Budget 60,000
• Funding Sources
• City of Oakland (Will it continue?)
• Sponsorships
• Staffing
• 1.125 Paid Staff
• Active Board Committees (3,536.5 volunteer
  hours , est. value of 176,825)
• Oaklands BALLE Network

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OMLF Activities

• Monthly Forums
• Periodic Workshops
• Marketing Shop Oakland / Oakland Grown
• Referrals Hundreds per Year
• Website
• Toolkits

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OMLF Activities

• Maintain database of 2100 active contacts
• Produce distribute re-useable bags
• Host hundreds of forums
• Mayors Proclamation of Shop Oakland Grown Day
  Nov 20

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How OMLF Can Help

• Inform businesses of City State activities
• Proposed policy changes
• Meetings zoning, retail development, safety
• New resources Business Assistance Center
• Collective voice of businesses - concerns and
  ideas to the City
• Online survey tools - results to City Council
• Forums follow up

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How OMLF Can Help

• Monthly Forums
• Marketing Social Marketing
• Parking
• Safety
• Street Festivals
• In-Depth Workshops
• Safety Merchant Watch
• District Organizing / Formation
• Social Marketing
• Workbooks and Toolkits
• Safety
• District Association 101 Kit

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How OMLF Can Help

• Grants
• MAAP and Marketing
• Partnerships
• Discounted advertising (East Bay Express and
  other co-op ads)
• Pro Arts Open Studios Directory
• Passport Coupon Book
• Business Resource Announcements
• Classes, Events, Tax Breaks, National trends
  ideas
• Referrals

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Retail Evaluation

• Currently assessing districts and your workshop
  interests
• Retail recruitment
• Organizational development
• Leadership development
• Marketing fund development
• Meeting management, developing member services
• Member workshops trainings
• How to develop or revive a merchants association
• Other topics?

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Local vs. Locally-Owned, Independent
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Location Local Chain
Ownership Locally-Owned, Independent
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Hip(Character, Quality of Life)
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Human(Job Quality Quantity)
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Triple the economic impact Diversity of jobs
not just retail
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Green
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Marketing Budgets!

• WalMart
• Target
• Best Buy
• You

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National Tools to Help Local Businesses
BALLE/AMIBA

• Local Campaigns
• Idea Sharing
• Templates
• Policies
• Local Capital

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Successes Indicators

• Sales
• Consumer Trends Buzz
• Green
• Slow Food, Locavores
• Organic
• Local-washing

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Independent Retailers Outperform Chains
Over Holidays

• Sales down overall - 9.8
• Gap - 14
• Borders -14
• Best Buy -6.5
• Williams-Sonoma -24.2
• Independents -5
• Independents with Shop Locally-Owned Campaigns
  - 3.2

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Specific Cities

• Portland Maine ( 7 months)
• 60 - positive impact on their businesses,
  customer loyalty and sales.
• Almost 75 hearing people they are making an
  effort to do more or all of their shopping at
  locally owned businesses.
• NW Washington ( 3 years)
• 69 percent are familiar with the Think Local
  First campaign
• 58 percent are making a more deliberate effort

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Local Washing Its Cool to Be Local

• Give Your Community a Lift Shop Locally for
  Your Gifts
• Luckys, Whole Foods
• ShopLocal.com
• Google Tools
• Local Like You
• Golden Locals
• HSBC The Worlds Local Bank
• Motel 6 Local Hotel

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Oakland Grown Campaign

• Membership Program
• Businesses, Artists, Nonprofits, Individuals
• Business Member Benefits
• OG Decals
• OG Bags
• Website listing for OG members
• Advertising to drive interest to sites and shops
  (print, radio, buses, web, t-shirts)
• Educational materials (bag stuffers, posters)

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Window Decals
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Bags
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OG Membership Criteria

• 1. Registered in Oakland, with no corporate
  headquarters outside Alameda County.
• 2. Privately held, not publicly traded.
• 3. Makes independent decisions regarding the name
  and look of the business, as well as all business
  purchasing, practices, hiring and distribution.
• 4. Pays all its own marketing, rent, and other
  business expenses (without assistance from a
  corporate headquarters).
• 5. Has six or less outlets, with at least 50 of
  its outlets in Northern California.
• 6. At least 50 of the managing owners of the
  business live in Northern California.

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Become a member!

• Help us build the movement your ideas are
  welcome!
• Membership starts at 80/yr
• 55 with various potential discounts
• Application in membership packet

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Business District Discussion
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Business District Discussion

• Goal 1How we can best get information to you
  district leaders
• Goal 2 How we all can best get information to
  individual merchants
• Goal 3 How to best share resources across
  districts
• Goal 4How we can best get your voice heard in
  the City

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Getting info to District LeadersMethod

• Is there anyone who does not want information via
  email / web?
• If not what method do you prefer?

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Getting info to District LeadersMethod

• Which of the following do you use regularly /
  comfortably?
• Email
• Text Messaging
• Google Group
• Yahoo Group
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Are there any other communication tools you use
  regularly?

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Getting info to District LeadersContent

• Is there any information type below that you do
  NOT want to receive?
• Workshop and training announcements
• City state policy updates (proposed approved)
• City meeting announcements
• New business announcements
• District event announcements
• Safety alerts
• Partnership Discount opportunities
• Is there any other information that district
  leaders need?

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Getting info to Individual BusinessesMethod

• What percentage of your businesses can be reached
  reliably via
• Email
• Phone call
• Text message
• Fax
• What percentage of your businesses have daily
  internet access?

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Getting info to Individual BusinessesMethod

• What is the best way to reach the most businesses
  in your district?
• What is the best way to get information to your
  businesses quickly?
• How do you warn neighboring businesses of crimes
  committed / suspects in the neighborhood?

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Getting info to Individual BusinessesMethod

• Do you have block leaders to spread information
  to neighboring businesses?
• How do you handle multiple languages?

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Getting Voice of Businesses Heard

• Helping you contact the right people directly
• 101 kit
• Forums follow up
• Online Surveys results to City/State
• Special meetings

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Sharing Info Among Districts

• We are launching a tool to help district leaders
  share information with each other
• Marketing ideas
• Event dates
• Graphic designers, printers, security solutions
• Technology will depend on your answers tonight!
• Consider district tours to see discuss what
  others are doing

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Final comments / questions

• District communications
• OMLF programs

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Complete Your Surveys!

• Complete the survey and turn in for a chance to
  win Southwest Airline tickets
• Up nextFacebook and Twitter for district leaders!