Grow Brandon Joins Movement To Advance Shop Local Mission

Today’s economy has a lot of small business owners searching for answers on how best to build commerce in an era of disruptive technologies.

Darrin Tyson, a chiropractor and owner of in Brandon, is one such person.

“Right now with the economy the way things are in the United States, I wanted to figure out something we could do locally to boost our local businesses and grow our local economy,” he said.

The result: Grow Brandon, a not-for-profit organization focused on boosting the bottom line of small businesses.

“The big-box store, the big chain, I love all those,” Tyson said. “But when we spend our money there, most of the money goes to corporate offices out of the state, and maybe out of the country. But if we buy from local businesses the money stays [local] and we can start growing our town.”

That the mission sounds similar to that of a chamber of commerce is not something Tyson said he spent much time thinking about.

“The chamber of commerce didn’t even pop into my head,” he said. “The idea [for Grow Brandon] popped into my head when I heard about American Express and Small Business Saturday.”

That promotional campaign advances the day after “Black Friday” as the day shoppers should show up in force at local, small businesses to kick off their year-end holiday shopping.

“I thought, ‘What, one day?’ ” Tyson said. “We can’t wait for November. We have to do this now.”

Grow Brandon is focused on networking, but not in the traditional sense, Tyson said.

“I have been involved in networking groups and those are great things,” he said. “What I found awkward is trying to get people to do leads. We did have our one meeting, where we got to know each other, which is much like networking, and we had 30 seconds to share with everyone what we do.”

Tyson noted as well that business owners don't always have time to meet, so the aim is to meet primarily online, through “the Web site, Facebook and social media,” and to connect people to local businesses through a directory listing.

“We make it simple,” he said. “You’re just one click away from finding locally owned businesses that sell every product and service you want.”

The idea is not unique, given the array and growing number of online business directories, including the extensive business directory at Brandon Patch and its sister sites throughout South Florida and the nation, each focused on a particular hometown community.

Established print publications also have their online directories, including the Osprey Observer, which for years has promoted its “Shop Local, Dine Local” initiative.

Also in the mix is an array of traditional networking groups, meeting at area businesses and restaurants, and the newly formed South & East Hillsborough County Business Owner’s Network, which, like Grown Brandon, also meets online,  “to share “ideas, events, discounts, product and service offerings and more.”

In the mix, too, is the online directory powered by the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, which features only the group's members. The annual cost to become a chamber member is $335 for retail and service businesses and for the independent contractor.

Tyson said he believes the attraction of online networking rests in the reality of the situation, that social media networking is on the rise and small business owners are strapped for time.

Still, his group did meet, at in Brandon on April 5.

Tyson said he went door-to-door, inviting "a little over 100" business owners to attend the kick-off meeting, which drew close to 60 attendees.

"We met basically to connect with people, to touch, taste, smell and feel the vision, that we can rally to get a movement going to buy local," Tyson said.

The effort is well worth it, he said, "because when the water rises, all of the boats float."