Q&A
Marketing strategies and support for small businesses in disadvantaged commercial corridors
1:43:30
·
4 min
Council Member Feliz inquires about programs to help small businesses in disadvantaged commercial corridors market themselves. Commissioner Kim provides a comprehensive overview of various strategies and initiatives to support small business marketing and growth.
- Collaboration with NYC Convention and Tourism to leverage increasing tourism numbers.
- Utilization of NYC Link kiosks for free marketing programs for small businesses.
- Encouraging inter-district tourism and cultural exchanges among council districts.
- Partnerships with merchant associations, chambers of commerce, and programs like Chamber On-the-Go.
- Digital marketing initiatives, including free courses in partnership with Mastercard.
- Suggestions for small businesses to partner with popular online brands to increase foot traffic.
- Emphasis on borough-specific branding and product lines.
- Addressing storefront vacancy issues through shared retail spaces and complementary business partnerships.
Oswald Feliz
1:43:30
Final question.
1:43:32
So obviously, our small businesses have a lot to offer.
1:43:35
They have a lot to offer to their local community, but to the city as a whole.
1:43:40
And it could be tough for those disadvantaged commercial corridors to market themselves so that everyone else can see what they have to offer.
1:43:48
So is there anything that we any programs that we have on the issue of marketing so that everyone could know what the different businesses have to offer?
Kevin Kim
1:43:58
Absolutely.
1:43:59
So I think a key component of marketing is to work and reach out to New York City Convention And Tourism.
1:44:08
I think if you look at the numbers when mayor Adam says New York City is back, he's able to back it up with all the numbers, and we have just the increasing rise of tourism over 63, 6 4 million tourists are here have been here.
1:44:24
What I would say is for districts to work with the tourism convention, work with us.
1:44:32
I think what we've heard from small business owners is that NYC Link, you know, those little poles where people gonna charge.
1:44:39
They also have free programs for marketing for small business owners.
1:44:43
And I don't think many small business owners know that.
1:44:45
So that's something I think they would highly recommend.
1:44:48
I would think that other things that we've done with or or I had discussions with when I walked quarters was, like, for example, council member Salamanca in his district.
1:44:59
I think there were murals that were being put up right outside of areas that had a lot of graffiti previously.
1:45:06
And in some of the other districts too, the murals have become a tourist attraction.
1:45:10
And and then I'll point to Murray Hillman Flushing.
1:45:15
What they found is that businesses or individuals who live in the Bronx because of the rise of Korean pop culture and Korean dramas on Netflix.
1:45:25
And apparently, people organize busloads to go visit Murray Hill as if they're visiting Seoul, like, fiddle soul.
1:45:33
And I think that kind of exchange could happen 2 ways where if you can get amongst council members even just sharing one unique aspect to help organize these trips, field trips to the other districts.
1:45:49
That's something that I would really focus on.
1:45:51
And then the merchant organizers, the merchant associations, we've been really partnering with them.
1:45:57
And then I think with the chambers of commerce, chamber on the co program and the SBRN that EDC actually manages that you had referred to.
1:46:05
I think getting the small businesses to become more savvy online, the digital marketing.
1:46:11
We had partnered up with MasterCarda as well to provide free digital marketing courses.
1:46:18
And I think just helping to promote their particular uniqueness about them is something to do.
1:46:24
I think with small business owners, one of the other things I've seen is that they wanna drive more foot traffic.
1:46:29
So sometimes partnering up with popular online brands that are only online, like, if you're a very popular sunglasses business, if a small business owner in an area that maybe doesn't have as much traffic but has a uniqueness to it that might attract New Yorkers and tourists alike.
1:46:46
They can reach out to some of these companies and say, hey, look.
1:46:49
You're popular online.
1:46:50
You don't have a storefront presence.
1:46:52
We pay rent.
1:46:52
We have the storefront presence, and we sell sneakers.
1:46:55
And so Maybe sunglasses and sneakers aren't the best pair, but let's say, hat and sweatshirts, maybe better combo.
1:47:03
You sell hats, resale sweatshirts.
1:47:05
Why don't you borrow or sublease a space in our store to sell your online wear?
1:47:11
And then people who find them and follow them online, will go to that store just to go test and feel and touch things that they couldn't do otherwise.
1:47:19
But at the same time, while they're checking out the hats, they see these cool sweatshirts that are very neighborhood base.
1:47:24
I know up in the Bronx.
1:47:25
There's a a group of guys that are really branding the Bronx name.
1:47:29
I think Randy Pierce at Brooklyn Chamber has done an incredible job branding the Brooklyn made products, and I think every borough, they should be a Queensland made 1.
1:47:37
They should be a Brooklyn made I don't know if the Manhattan one will do very well, but the rest of The rest of the Burrows, I think, should all have their brand, and they should have a storage space to combat the high cost of rent.
1:47:50
By sharing retail space, whether it's a popular online brand or with other complementary businesses.
1:47:56
So these are some of the things that I think We're looking at SBS.
1:48:00
We've been studying it very closely.
1:48:02
We understand that storefront vacancy.
1:48:06
Was something that we want to address head on this year.