St. Charles Parish government officials recently announced the launch of a campaign encouraging residents and visitors to patronize small and locally owned businesses, especially as the holiday season approaches.
“Small businesses have always been a vital part of our community in St. Charles Parish,” Parish President Matthew Jewell said. “From sponsoring local charities and recreation teams to providing essential services after Hurricane Katrina when neighboring parishes were still shut down … local businesses are always there for our residents. Now it is time that we take care of business in St. Charles Parish.”
Jewell said the preliminary idea behind the campaign was initiated by the impacts of COVID-19 on small businesses.
“Now more than ever, our small businesses need our support,” he said. “While online shopping and Amazon is convenient, shopping local not only has an impact on our neighbors and friends who own small businesses, but on our local economy as well.”
St. Charles Parish boasts over 800 locally owned businesses, and Jewell said $0.67 of every dollar spent with a local business goes directly back into the local economy and towards funding schools, roads, infrastructure and other essential services.
“When we shop, eat, and do businesses locally in the parish, we are not only helping our neighbors and friends who own businesses, but we are directly affecting our sales tax revenues and our economy,” he said.
The Let’s Take Care of Business campaign will include yard signs, commercials and window stickers to promote the efforts.
Jewell said the call to action is not just something he is asking citizens to do, but rather something he is implementing within parish departments.
“It is something parish government is doing as well by sourcing many products and services locally,” he said, adding patronizing local businesses helps owners keep their doors open.
Related to the campaign, a jobs board for employment opportunities both within parish government and the private sector has been created and is available at www.stcharlesparish-la.gov/scpworks. Businesses wishing to list their job opportunities should contact the Department of Economic Development by emailing Corey Faucheux at econdev@stcharlesgov.net.
For more information about the Let’s Take Care of Business campaign and ways residents and small businesses can participate, please visit https://www.stcharlesparish-la.gov/departments/economic-development-and-tourism/lets-take-care-of-business.
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