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Why should you shop at small businesses?

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    Grant Weiss brings awareness and increased traffic to local shops

  • Duration 8:04
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Live from Chicago is Graham -- he is the founder of it's called see -- downtown correct see downtown dot com.

Yes it is what exactly to see you downtown dot com do.

Well we do as we focus on the small business -- to get them introduced to having a video.

And we don't with C downtown -- com -- made a collective place for those businesses and a collective downtown to showcase.

Photos and -- the video out there.

More information.

And ideals anything else that they've wanted to you and you've done this in places like oak park Illinois way I'm glad -- -- Arlington Heights these are all suburbs or or towns around Chicago if I'm a consumer.

What benefit does this serve me by having that.

-- -- -- -- as a consumer.

What I what I think is there's so much in a downtown that people either forgotten or haven't been to -- Or maybe you live in Naperville and you don't even know what's all involved in the downtown area from events to -- new stores that have come up.

Different restaurants.

And being able to just -- -- downtown -- -- town CF a restaurant and see what there is offer very quick a minute or so.

And then make plans -- get down there what I wanted to see everyone.

Downtown so its I hope it's effective in that way.

You started this in 2009 how many towns how many villages have you gotten going nationwide or is it just around Chicago right now yeah.

I just started in around Chicago I've got about thirteen towns and I'm really looking and grow and I would love this recently -- national everywhere I go I.

I tell people and they're always got to come in my time he got to come in my city I and that's what airport is that dot I living Canada you've got to come here.

So I really think it's something that people need they'd -- I think they love their downtown they wanna see.

More people enjoyed as well especially the business -- look kind of traffic you -- into the side.

I would have to look at all my numbers I know that we're growing every day every month.

We're adding more videos every day so.

Is increasing everyday and I don't have exact numbers and I don't want you giveaway I traits he gets me how to make money off.

-- -- we have three different value I come from a video production background so we have a basic a premiere -- -- custom video package.

What I want to do is make sure that we can do whatever we can't for the business owner whatever they can.

A forty into -- marketing and get that out there and as they seem boring -- traffic more money they can maybe be the next video or commercial on things like that.

Well they have -- -- let me ask a quick question right there are they commercials when I go to this item -- watching a commercial from my getting more of an in depth about.

Can I order from the society -- I engage in purchasing.

From the site can make reservations perhaps at a restaurant from the site.

Is it in -- active in that manner.

What are really is this thing.

Introduce the business owner because they're all unique and they all have a story I wanna know more about the business -- story.

Then that this is someplace that I can buy -- American I want -- -- places the Y hear what makes you unique.

Why did you take so much passion and what you do I want that this kind of what you -- how -- get that experience a hold -- on experience from -- -- to shopping and I don't know if your clients would allow the do you have a client maybe tell us the story of how before.

They -- -- he downtown dot com they came to you they went to see downtown dot com and what's happened cents.

Well okay I have I have a couple funny fun stories but I work with a cold for marketing directors and a masters see downtown can hold house brought me into this that are flooring.

And just in the investment way I want -- this is not to be afraid of what this isn't working go.

-- they bought a custom package and within the first ten days.

Of this being shown they re -- their money directly back from this video.

We did do another couple videos they're they're web -- went up 33% traffic because we're creating this video to drive traffic can get awareness.

So -- there's a lot of different stories I can share where it -- result of this powerful that it.

-- I'm I'm not I'm curious because you know I've lived I lived in Chicago one point I lived in South Bend, Indiana.

I -- lived in parts of the country where the small towns and thinking Portland Maine.

Where when it's not such a small town but where where we used to go around his town square and that we're shops and sundry stores.

-- that I that.

They're dying.

And I would imagine your mission is to keep them from dying -- -- a story with me one of the -- and clients and have made -- different.

I'm think I'm a full bag really quick to to what you said about how they're dying because that's why created this why created -- in the -- something that people say.

See downtown allowed -- -- experiment here in Chicago let's say we'll see downtown Chicago for a drink somewhere because the something that we found on this website and that's what I want people it is really.

You see the videos -- -- So at -- at this that are far as far as I return is and they.

They're just one of three different foreign companies that this couple was looking at and the owner Tom goes in and says it OK let me use of measurements gonna watch this -- -- downtown.

And also in background -- and after they watch this piece about their history and what they do with pouring in just.

The pride that they take that shines in what we do they made their decision like -- we were gonna talk some other people who we wanna go with you -- and it's building relationships.

Yeah and it's it's so powerful and effective and I just want to be.

Therefore the small business owner to get some -- started don't don't be afraid of what social media is doing what video can do for you.

We're taking it off of broadcast -- -- stream and -- in different ways.

So it's it's really up on time.

We wouldn't you bring up social media -- integrate this into the FaceBook -- with -- Twitter -- with whatever than it -- teenagers are gonna throw our way.

You know exactly that's popular in -- that FaceBook users it's actually down but.

What's that -- Correct correct and that it if you don't use it effectively a really just becomes a toy and and it wastes time and it's just chatter but if you can really happen like -- -- effective.

While ordeal I do in my life but -- I interrupted you but -- innovative take up its book.

Well it a lot of times we can do especially -- very big -- -- in the video proponent create third party.

Generally generations or contests are things that you can do to make sure they are grabbing people again with this that are we did something where we found out.

We put contests out there found -- -- all their flooring is and we mix of ice cream store that we also -- downtown so they would.

Comment we asked whether favorite flavor is so.

We're building a really ship we're finding out what they need and then where they're dedicated to using socially just and just the fact that it's so -- -- -- I wanna say a small business owners.

Don't be afraid of the new technology and this instant conversation it's just.

Get introduced to Facebook's a good place to start learning good -- start learning now let me ask you this is the first iteration you working on -- -- downtown 2.0 right.

Yes yes and really looking forward that it's it's gonna expand and not just what we have built so far but over the last two years you're able to make.

Adjustment to see what's good for the consumer what's good for the business owner.

How to be more -- what do you tools are coming out what at what mobile labs are doing and all those things are gonna lead into what version 2.0 will be.

And it's hopefully sooner than later I'm I'm excited.

And -- and hopefully won't do it Apple's doing to us and they launch the iPhone 5 in changing the device to charges have yet to buy all new stuff but.

Investors and he got people interest it perhaps in not coming in on that.

I hate I'm putting it out there -- -- have a business plan and I -- you wanna shop around it would definitely help in getting this to be the national product that I wanna see I have so much interest from.

People there's they do it here -- -- -- here.

I'm open to all conversations on that as well that other question I wanna get back to how to -- make money on the side.

All that you go to info I see downtown dot com my have info on the site -- morning having to speak with anybody personally.

And very quickly want to wrap up our -- insists eroded Cicero Illinois.

I've not is that is that I was little my favorite home when -- -- a reporter in Chicago I used to cover -- -- -- he's.

If you replace her husband for this senator prison and I just see downtown in -- for some people could mean see at the federal penitentiary but.

I don't listen -- -- that the -- Letterman right.

All the best -- -- and real quick -- you know folks who sent one more time it is he would downtown dot com.

And mr.

-- we appreciate you being with us this morning.

Thank you so much.

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