City of San Antonio, Department of Economic Development
San Antonio, TX
Challenge
With its vibrant cultural and culinary traditions and diverse immigrant community, San Antonio, Texas is rich with locally-owned businesses. By recirculating money locally, building wealth for disadvantaged entrepreneurs, and celebrating San Antonio’s unique identity, these enterprises represent a critical piece of San Antonio’s local economy. However, residents’ and city government’s local pride is not always reflected in how money is being spent in the city. Investments in tourism and economic development have been overwhelmingly to the downtown river walk and outside business attraction. In 2022, the City of San Antonio Economic Development Department sought to develop a citywide campaign to increase consumer spending at the local level, better promote areas outside of downtown, and shift public policy to local business support. They contracted Community Allies and Jamee Haley Consulting to develop the parameters of a “Shop Local First” initiative that would include public awareness and public policy recommendations. Ellen Shepard of Community Allies and Jamee Haley were both pioneers of the Local First movement, innovating campaigns in Chicago and Charleston, SC that were emulated by cities across the globe. Together, they brought more than three decades of experience in building local economies through initiatives to encourage consumer spending on a local level.
Approach
Our approach was based on five months of intensive community outreach. In order to assess current support for local businesses, the needs of residents, and what locals most loved about their place, Community Allies and Jamee Haley Consuliting conducted an online survey (offered and promoted in English and Spanish), an assets assessment, research on best practices, and a needs assessment of the small business ecosystem. We convened area business development organizations, held four focus groups in English and in Spanish with a total of 41 business owners, and collaborated with the city’s Small Business Advisory Council. In addition, we had a two-day site visit, meeting with leaders from Visit San Antonio, the World Heritage Organization, and individual business owners. We attended a business mixer and toured different neighborhoods across the city to get a sense of how the diverse cultures in the city interact and where there might be physical or cultural barriers to local shoppers and tourists expanding shopping across different neighborhoods.
Results
Our work culminated in a 57-page report, including recommendations for developing a more robust support system for local businesses and increased localized consumer spending from both residents and visitors. We identified six traits of successful “Local First” initiatives and provided parameters for a local initiative that would leverage pride in San Antonio’s unique neighborhoods as well as develop new partnerships with area business development organizations, the military community, local government and anchor institutions, and bike advocacy groups, in concert with a community-informed information campaign, to encourage local purchasing and increase place-based tourism. We also recommended policy shifts that would prevent displacement of current residents and ease the burdens on small businesses of permitting and licensing. Finally, we laid out the structure for a local business coalition that would support the initiative long-term. The City of San Antonio is using our recommendations to launch the initiative in 2023.
Put Community Allies to work for you
Share this story: