Saturday, Aug 10 is Shop Local Delmarva Day

Ever wonder who's behind Shop Local Delmarva? Saturday, August 10th, the guy who always talks to you through cyberspace will be at Raffies Warehouse Clearance Sale for Shop Local Delmarva Day. On top of taking advantage of great deals, like $10 wool area rugs or $20 framed pictures and a hodgepodge of other estate items, you can meet the founder of Shop Local Delmarva. I know I'm curious as to who he is (just kidding, I know who I am). Come on out and ask him any questions you may have like how Shop Local Delmarva can help your business or what the future of Shop Local Delmarva is. Hope to see you there! 

How visitors are using Shop Local Delmarva

Since December, Shop Local Delmarva has consistently averaged around 625 visitors per month. Last month and this month, the average has dropped a bit.

Top keywords used to find Shop Local Delmarva are "shop Delmarva" or some variation of those words like "local shopping on Delmarva" followed by a search for specific businesses, namely Taylor's Organics, Delmarva Popcorn, and ATL Bistro and Bar.

The top pages visited were the Classified Ad section followed by JEM Lumber (I suspect because of their special they ran last month) followed by Shop Local Delmarva's articles followed by the Shop Local Delmarva Virtual Mall.

Two possible reasons for the slight drop in monthly visitors: it's summer and people tend to be on the computer less and possibly, first time visitors aren't finding the directory "useful" as there are only a handful of businesses listed.

If you own a business that fits the description of "locally owned and operated", please get listed. Your basic listing is and always will be free. While the site is growing, you can list in the classified ad section for free and if you serve all of Delmarva (including selling online), you can have a store front in the Virtual Mall for free.

The bigger the directory, the more visitors will use Shop Local Delmarva and the more likely new customers will find you. 

How did you support your local busineses today?

Just out of curiosity, what did you do to support your locally owned and operated businesses yesterday?

I didn't do any shopping, but I did go to an auction. I don't know if the auctioneers were local people nor do I know how local all the items being sold were, but I do know the food stand was locally owned. I ate lunch there. Of course, I planned on eating lunch at the locally owned restaurant in town, but I chose to support the stand at the auction, instead. By the time I finished making a video around Cambridge that I wanted to make, I was hungry, again, so I ended up supporting the locally owned restaurant in town, anyway. Oh, then on the way home, I bought my beer at the locally owned liquor store.

Well, dang it, I did a pretty good job at supporting my locally owned and operated businesses today, after all, and I didn't even try!

How local is local?

The question reminds me of a similar question I faced as a gardening enthusiast.  I concentrated on growing native plants, but the question arose: how native is native?  On one end, some gardeners would argue only plants that our first settlers would've found growing in what is now the garden is native.  On the other end, as long as the plant could be found in the state, it is native.  Most gardeners fell somewhere in between, usually narrowing the definition to a smaller geographical area such as the county or a hundred-mile radius where the garden was located.  Purists, however, argued there was no such thing as a native plant since most of our native plants have the genes of non-native or hybridized cousins. 

The same range of thought exists with what one defines as a locally owned and operated business.  Some argue that only businesses within or very near one's town is a local business.  Others argue that businesses founded in the state are a local business.  Most people fall somewhere in between.  Purists, however, argue there is no such thing as a locally owned and operated business as most businesses require the services or products from outside of the region in order for the owners to conduct their business.

The answer to what defines a locally owned and operated business if further complicated by other factors.  Some would argue that a locally owned franchise is a locally owned and operated business.  Others would argue that a business, whose owner has moved out of state but still maintains the business locally, is a locally owned and operated business.

Now here is a trick question.  Is Target a locally owned and operated business?  Most people would argue that no, it is a national chain, the kind of store shop local enthusiasts avoid.  People in Minneapolis, MN, however, might argue that, for them, Target is a locally owned and operated business as the original Target began there in 1902 as the Dayton Dry Goods Company.  Just because the store changed its name to Target doesn't make it any less local.  Others would argue that despite its history, Target is now a publicly owned company with no shareholder holding more than 9% interest in the company, and the shareholders are spread out all across the country so it can no longer be considered a locally owned and operated company.

Now, here is another trick question.  Is Walmart a locally owned and operated business?  Like people in Minnesota who might argue Target is a locally owned and operated business, people in Benton, AR might argue that Walmart is a locally owned and operated business.  Unlike the people in Minnesota, though, the people in Arkansas could arguably be more correct in their claim.  The Walton family, founders of Walmart, hold a 48% stake in shares of the company, making them the majority owners.

There are probably as many definitions to "locally owned and operated" as there are people who try to answer the question, how local is local.  Shop Local Delmarva considered all the ranges of thought on the subject, but discovered the definition came down to two key questions: what sort of business keeps most of its money circulating within the local community and what is the "local community"?

With those two questions in mind, Shop Local Delmarva first defined "local community" as all of Delmarva.  The reasoning was based on the fact that most of Delmarva is rural in nature and one couldn't expect to find everything he/she would need in his/her local town.  One may need to travel thirty miles or more to the next nearest town, but he/she could still support the local businesses there instead of relying on the national chains.

Defining what sort of business keeps most of its money within the local community was a bit trickier to define.  Operating on the statistic that for every $100 spent at a locally owned and operated business, $68 remains in the community as opposed to $13 that remains out of the same $100 spent at a national chain, Shop Local Delmarva defined "locally owned and operated business" as one that is most likely to meet the $68 statistic.

Shop Local Delmarva decided that locally owned and operated franchises should be excluded.  The operation of the franchise is still governed by people outside of the local community (loss of community identity), products sold to consumers or products used in a service based business or usually dictated to be purchased outside of the community (no flexibility to purchase locally produced products), and a sizable portion of the franchise's profits go to another state in the form of royalties and licensing fees. 

Shop Local Delmarva also decided to exclude businesses with absent owners, that is, owners that may have started the business while living in the community, but have decided to move or semi-retire to another state while maintaining the operation of the business.  Like the profits of a franchise, the profits of a business with an absent owner are going to another state to maintain the owner's residence and lifestyle in that state.

Ultimately, the definition of a locally owned and operated business is up to the individual to decide for him/herself.  Whether one only considers shopping local in his/her immediate community or a larger geographical area, the important thing is shop local, Delmarva!  If everyone made a ten percent shift in their spending habits towards locally owned and operated businesses, the local economy would see huge benefits. 

 

For a complete, formalized definition of "locally owned and operated business" as defined by Shop Local Delmarva, please see our "Get Listed" section and remember, if you own a business on Delmarva and your business meets the definition, you can get a basic listing that is, and always will be, free.

Make the 10% shift

Here's the biggest obstacle for many to shopping locally: Why should I pay $1.09 for a widget at a locally owned and operated business when I can get the same or equal widget for $0.99 at a Big box Store or off the Internet?   

The shop local message is directed at two audiences: one with disposable income and one who budgets from paycheck to paycheck.  For those who have disposable income, the message of why one should shop local rings loud and clear and are, most likely, shopping local as much as they can.

For the majority of people who are living from paycheck to paycheck, budget is important and no matter how many stats one posts about the benefits of shopping local, the shoppers' bank account determines where one shops.  Invariably, these consumers will opt for the widget that is ten cents cheaper.

Getting people to shop local, or at least thinking about breaking their routine and visiting some locally owned and operated shops, is a three-pronged effort.

First, educate the average shopper on the benefits of shopping local.  The benefits one would see in their community if everyone shopped local is a bit intangible to most people, yet immediately conceptualized by most  regardless of their budget.

Second, show the average consumer that not everything is "overpriced".  Sure, one could save by buying some "necessities" at a big chain store, but there are plenty of locally owned and operated business that offer competitive pricing, and, yes, cheaper pricing than the big box stores.   Not only offering the competitive pricing, but locally owned and operate businesses also offer a variety of products, often locally produced or in a "niche market", that one would never find a big box store.

Third, offer an opportunity to encourage the average shopper to shop local and discover what the big box stores don't offer.  Big box stores want you, your family, your neighbors, and friends to have everything the same because mass-produced items can be sold cheaply.  Your locally owned and operated businesses offer a variety the big box stores can't.  (Please read Shop Local Delmarva's article, The Homogenization of Rural Town, USA, for more information.) 

Some studies suggest that a 10% shift in spending habits aimed towards our locally owned and operated businesses would result in $140 million in new economic activity, create over 1,600 new jobs, and   provide $50 million in new wages.  No matter how tight one's budget is, making a 10% shift in spending habits is a doable goal for most people once they fully understand the importance of shopping locally.

Shop Local Delmarva created Shop Local Delmarva Day to help the average consumer learn more about why it is important to shop locally and to help achieve the 10% (or more) shift in spending habits.  By designating the second Saturday of every month as Shop Local Delmarva Day, the average consumer, regardless of their budget, can decide the best way to support his/hers local community by supporting his/hers locally owned and operated businesses. 

Let's say a couple spends $1,500 per month in all the major areas of expenses such as food, clothing, household, home improvement (including yard and gardens), and entertainment.  To meet the 10% goal, the couple could choose to spend $150 all on Shop Local Delmarva Day in several different locally owned stores or spread the spending out over the entire month (about $34 per week), depending on the couple's budget. 

With the numbers broken down, the couple can easily make conscious buying decisions.  Thirty-four dollars per week isn't a whole lot of money.  They can decide to stop at a produce stand on their way home from work to buy fresh, local produce (food); buy a new pair of shoes and a new shirt or blouse at a local boutique during their lunch hour (clothing); stop at the local hardware store on their way to do their weekly grocery shopping for odds and ends hardware (nails, hinges to fix a cabinet, or some paint or wood finish to bring new life to a piece of furniture or room) or stop at a local garden center for a bag of mulch, pest control products, or new fencing (home improvement); and stop at a locally owned restaurant, deli, or grocery market to pick up something to eat and drink instead of going through a national chain's drive thru (entertainment). 

With little shifts like these in shopping habits, the couple would easily make the 10% shift in spending habits towards our locally owned and operated businesses.  It may not sound like much, but if everyone made the tiny shift, the economic benefits to the community would be immense.  Please read American Independent Business Alliance's informative, yet easy-to-read, article, Benefits of Doing Business Locally, to learn how immense that impact can be. 

JEM Lumber to announce Shop Local Delmarva Day special

July 13th is our next Shop Local Delmarva Day.   JEM Lumber & Building Supply, LLC in Bridgeville, DE is celebrating the day by offering a week-long special!  If you have a major home improvement project to do, you'll definitely will want to stay tuned for the announcement of JEM Lumber's planned special exclusively for supporters of Shop Local Delmarva!  Be sure to tell your friends and contractors you know about Shop Local Delmarva Day so they don't miss out on JEM Lumber's support for our locally owned and operated businesses. 

The fine print: Announcement of JEM Lumber's promotion will be on July 5th and will be valid for the entire week leading up to Shop Local Delmarva Day.  Announcements will be made on the Shop Local Delmarva website, the Shop Local Delmarva FaceBook page, and the Shop Local Delmarva blog.

Today is our fourteenth Shop Local Delmarva Day!

Today brings us beautiful spring weather to enjoy the day exploring our locally owned and operated businesses!  If you're staying home because there's spring yard work that needs to be done, why not take an afternoon break and run down to the local sandwich shop for lunch or call a locally owned and operated pizza shop and have lunch delivered? 

And don't forget, you can support our locally owned and operated businesses from the comfort of your home.  With two new stores added, Shop Local Delmarva Virtual Mall is always open.  All the businesses in the Mall offer at least some of their services or products to all of Delmarva!

In the last couple of weeks, I have fallen a bit behind in my normal upkeep of the Shop Local Delmarva website. A combination of training for a new job, which requires a lot of time in Baltimore, and helping a local busines...s (who had served Cambridge for over fifty years) re-establish itself after being forced to close during the height of the recession has slowed me down a bit. As an update, here is what will be coming up by the end of the month:

A formal welcome to Candra's Secret will be coming. Candra's Secret is listed in the Shop Local Delmarva directory as "in Sussex" and serving all of Delmarva. Candra's Secret will also soon be featured in the Shop Local Delmarva Virtual Mall. Please visit their website at http://www.shoplocaldelmarva.com/content/listing/sussex/candras-secret

A formal welcome to Jem-Mor Florist will be coming. Jem-Mor Florist is listed in the Shop Local Delmarva directory as "in Kent (DE)" and will be soon linked to serving all of Delmarva. Jem-Mor Florist will also soon be featured in the Shop Local Delmarva Virtual Mall. Please visit their website at http://www.shoplocaldelmarva.com/content/listing/kent-de/jen-mor-florist-inc

Perennial Roots Farms will soon be listed as "in Accomack" and serving Northampton. Please visit their website at http://www.perennialroots.com/

Raffie's Warehouse will soon be listed as "in Dorchester" and serving all of Delmarva. Up until about two years ago, Raffie's Warehouse had two locations, one in Cambridge and one in Easton, before being forced to close during the economic downturn. I am helping Raffie's Warehouse establish a virtual store through eBay to help the owner sell his inventory that is currently sitting in storage. He also wants to move his jewelry business, which he currently has offered in a couple of leased spaces in other stores, move completely to the virtual store. At 92-years-old, the owner has decided to forgo the traditional brick-and-mortar store and has embraced the new technology of a virtual store! Hopefully, I can help him make the transformation a success. Once I get Raffie's Warehouse established in the virtual world, they will be listed as "in Dorchester" and serving all of Delmarva. They also will be featured in the Shop Local Delmarva Mall.

Our next Shop Local Delmarva Day is April 13th! If you want to run any specials, sales, or coupons for the day, please email or message me with your request by March 31st. All businesses, even those with a free basic listing, can run one simple text ad that will be promoted here and on the Shop Local Delmarva website. I can include your business logo with the text ad.

If anyone has any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to post them here or message or email me. I apologize to the businesses who are so patiently waiting for me to catch up. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to hire help, but I am trying my best to keep up with the recent influx of requests. I appreciate your patience.

Now you want me to write?

In today’s highly competitive business world, almost every expert will tell you that you need to get your business on the Internet and plug into social networking sites like Blogger, Twitter, LinkedIn or FaceBook, to name a few. You might immediately think, “And who’s going to write all that content?”

Unless you can afford to hire a professional to run the Internet side of your business at least on a part time basis, if not full time, the answer is - you guessed it - you. While some of the online tasks can be performed by your employees, such as answering simple email questions, filling orders, or setting appointments, the important task of branding your company and projecting a positive company image should be left to the owners or professional writers who understand the image you want projected.

Most small businesses can’t afford to hire a professional to do the work and the thought of writing content might be an intimidating thought to you. Just when you work up the nerve to bring your business to the Internet, the experts throw in a monkey wrench and tell you that how you write for your website is different than how you write for social networking sites. When you finally come to the realization that you need to learn two styles of writing, the experts torque that monkey wrench by telling you that how you write in the various social networking sites is different for each social networking platform. Yes, experts, especially writing experts, like to complicate things.

This article gives basic writing suggestions that apply across all types of Internet platforms. They aren’t rules because, in writing, there are no rules except one: no matter what you write, someone out there is not going to like how you wrote it. The idea, however, is for the suggestions to help you minimize how many people won’t like your writing style. Future articles will cover the do’s and don’ts of writing within the various Internet platforms.

Pick your voice

This isn’t as tricky as it sounds, but your voice will vary slightly across the different platforms. Whether you are writing content for your website or in any of the social networking sites, professionalism is important. Visitors to your website or your social networking sites will form an opinion of your business, you, and your employees on nothing more than what, and how, you write.

Now let’s define “professionalism”. It does not mean you should use big words in a dry, textbook style. Your business will define professionalism for you. How do you talk to customers who walk through your door? That is the level of professionalism you’ll want to convey in your writing. Professionalism for a lawyer will be defined differently than for the owner of a country store. Visitors to a lawyer’s page would expect proper grammar usage and maybe a big word or two. The same visitor to a country store’s page would expect more colloquial writing. “Colloquial”, however, doesn’t mean you get to break all the grammar and spelling rules. There’s a fine line between breaking the rules in the right way and right amount while maintaining a professional image and crossing the line and projecting an image of an unprofessional business owner who isn’t concerned what his customers think of him or his business.

Whether you choose a formal voice or colloquial voice to convey your professionalism and business image, the following suggestions will help you make it work more effectively.

Spell correctly

If you know you are a poor speller, you may want to use the spell check options in your website editor or social network editor. If the platform you are posting your content to doesn’t provide a spell check option, write your content in a word processing program that offers the feature. Once you have corrected all the red squiggly lined words, read what you wrote carefully. Spell check software is good, but not perfect. It might accept “to”, for example, when you really meant to write “too” or “two”.

Is it ever ok to misspell a word? One rule of writing: never say never. If your spell check flagged a word as misspelled, keep it only if you are sure it is correct. Usually, this applies to formal names, but you may use a regional word that isn’t in the spell check’s dictionary. That doesn’t make the word incorrect.

Use proper grammar

Often the spell check function will include a grammar check function. Again, if the platform you are posting to does not include a grammar check, you may want to write your content in a word processing program that includes a grammar check.

Unlike spell check, grammar check is a lot more unreliable. It will often flag sentences that are fine in the context of your style of writing. If you like how you wrote the sentence and it flows nicely in the paragraph, don’t change it. If the suggested change makes the sentence more awkward to read, definitely don’t change it. One good example is that, contrary to popular belief, sometimes it is ok to end a sentence with a preposition. For you lawyers and other professionals: according to the Chicago Manual of Style, yes, sometimes it is preferable to end the sentence with a preposition rather than rewriting it into “proper” form and ending up with an awkwardly worded sentence.

There are plenty of other rules we were taught that you could break without losing the professional image you are trying to project, particularly if you are writing in a colloquial style. If it sounds right or better to you than what the grammar check suggests, keep what you wrote. If formality is important to you, consult the Chicago Manual of Style for guidance.

Once you have finished fixing or ignoring all the green squiggly lines, carefully read your content again. You’ll be surprised how many more grammar mistakes you made that the grammar check didn’t catch.

Two grammar rules you shouldn’t break

Granted these rules are more a matter of opinion than hard-set rules, but they happen to be pet peeves of this author and are rules that are commonly broken, even by professional writers. In fact, the Chicago Manual of Style acknowledges that these rules are routinely broken and are not necessarily rules any more. Whether or not you agree that making these grammar mistakes takes away from the professional image you want to project is completely up to you. Whatever you decide, as the Chicago Manual of Style suggests, use the rule the way you see fit consistently throughout your content.

Hypothetical rule: In a hypothetical sentence, “was” becomes “were”. A hypothetical sentence is usually signified by the words, “if” or “wish”. Easiest way to remember this rule – think of the song, “If I were a rich man”. The song isn’t “If I was a rich man”.

Who and that: “Who” signifies a person and “that” signifies a thing. Most people are not things. That is why it is a good idea to say, “A customer who….” and not “A customer that….”

Avoid slang, clichés and nonstandard abbreviations

If you are a professional using the formal voice, this suggestion is a given. For the rest of us, it’s usually a good idea to avoid slang, spell out your words, and think of an original phrase instead of using a cliché. It tells a visitor to your site or social network that you care about communicating effectively, you give original thought to what you have to say, and you’re not lazy on the keyboard.

Which sentence conveys an image of a more professional business owner to you? “When a ticked off customer tells you she’ll brb, get your p’s and q’s in line so you can quickly solve her problem” or “When an unhappy customer tells you she’ll be right back, take the time to look at her purchase and paperwork so you can quickly solve her problem.”

Avoid negative emotional trigger words, phrases and negativity in general

This part of writing is probably the most trickiest to learn. (For the astute reader, you’ll notice my blatant grammar mistake, but the mistake was intentional to emphasize how tricky it is. See? It’s ok to break “the rules”.)

There are many words and phrases that have a potential to trigger a strong, emotional response in the reader. Marketers love the positive emotional trigger words and phrases. Those are the ones that get people feeling good and in the mood to buy stuff. The flip side, however, turns people off, gets them on the defensive, and yes, can even get people telling their friends you run a shoddy business, even if they have never stepped foot in your doors and only know your business through the Internet. Remember, it takes ten good customers to offset the one unhappy customer who starts talking negatively about your business.

There are three main triggers to look for in your writing, and many more minor ones too numerous to list in this short article. The minor ones, however, can add up to become a major obstacle in communicating with your potential customers through the Internet.

Once you have finished writing, read what you wrote. Be on the lookout for these three trigger phrases or words: negative labeling (belittling), commanding phrases or words, and power phrases.

Negative labeling can be blatant, such as substituting not-so-cute words for a real word. An example would be talking about your competitor and calling the store Awful-Mart instead of Wal-Mart or Garbage Lion instead of Food Lion. Negative labeling can also be more subtle, such as implying a negative trait applies to everyone belonging in a particular group. An example would be saying “Shoppers are always looking out for the cheapest price and don’t care about quality or where the product comes from.” Odds are nearly certain that your reader is a shopper and will automatically get defensive because you implied all shoppers, including the reader, think this way.

Commanding phrases are exactly what they sound like - commands. Odds are your reader is an adult and doesn’t like to be told what to do. They like suggestions. They like sound reasoning for what you are trying to communicate to them. They like being talked to like an adult. Which sentence sounds more professional to you? “Shop at the big chain stores if you want to throw away your money” or “if you shop local, you’ll be helping to preserve your community’s unique identity”?

Power phrases are phrases that attempt to assert authority and give little or no room for the reader to think of or offer alternatives. Power phrases leave an impression of inflexibility. Which sentence sounds better to you? “Our products and services are so good, we don’t need a refund policy” or “Our products and services are so good, we have to find things to keep the refund clerk busy”?

Some other barriers in your writing that can add up to an overall negative feeling in your readers are using overly strong, negative words or phrases, writing to impress instead of conveying a message, and pretending to be an expert or know-it-all.

Pretending to be an expert or know-it-all deserves a short explanation. We’re all experts at something, usually more than one thing, to some degree or other, but know your limitations and be honest when writing an article. As an example, I’ll use myself. I have over fifteen years of real writing experience, both in print form (a regular writer for a community newspaper in Baltimore) and electronic form (several websites and blogs, including Shop Local Delmarva). While I am college educated with a degree, I have no degree in English, journalism, or business writing. My fifteen years plus of writing, however, gives me the confidence that I am conveying sound information. Since writing is not my primary field of study, I qualified this article at the beginning that I would present suggestions to good writing, not rules. You’ll also notice that in a few places, I referred you to the Chicago Manual of Style because I knew what I was stating is up for debate. I also have no problem stating my limitations on my expertise. In short, I didn’t try to mislead you into believing I was more of an expert than what my education and experience has given me. In fact, I’m sure someone else with more education and writing experience would be quick to point out that I have yet to master the skill of keeping it short and simple.

If you feel you don’t have a good grasp of the concept of negative emotion trigger words and phrases, one quick way to learn more as well as learn what not to include in your writing style is listen to talk radio. What words and phrases do the hosts use that trigger a negative response in you as you listen? That’s the sort of thing you want to avoid in your writing.

Read what you wrote and make corrections

If you have followed these suggestions step-by-step, you’ve already read your article at least three times. With each reading, you probably made some corrections. Do you really need to read it one final time? That decision is entirely up to you, but is strongly encouraged. I have already read this article four times up to this section and made corrections each time. When I’m done typing this section and the next and last section, I will read it one more time before posting it to the Shop Local Delmarva blog. If you want to maintain a professional image and establish yourself as an expert in your field of business, you probably don’t want to rush an article. Even if you are only writing a couple of sentences on a social networking site, you will probably want to read it a couple of times before clicking the post button. For potential customers (your readers) who have never been in your store and who don’t know you personally, the first impression is everything.

Overwhelmed? Start small

Believe it or not, the more you write, the easier the task becomes. Get your business page on a social network like FaceBook and practice writing one paragraph at a time. In a relatively short time, you’ll find that churning out a useful article of 500 words or less is a relatively easy task, with your typing skills being the slowest part of writing. If that sounds like a lot of words, a 500 word article averages three to five paragraphs of five to ten sentences per paragraph. You don’t have to post every day, either, but post frequently enough that people will be inclined to follow your page in their newsfeeds. Post on other people’s pages, too. The more you write, the easier it becomes. For most business owners, a less than 500 word article a couple of times a week is all you’ll really need to write and be able to gain and retain loyal customers. More on this topic in future articles….

　

Shop Local Delmarva Virtual Mall

Shop Local Delmarva is happy to unveil its prototype Virtual Shopping Mall to make it easier for everyone to shop local.

Businesses with a storefront in the mall are those who offer some or all of their products online. To move around in the mall, click and hold the yellow arrow and move forward or backwards. The two stores you are in front of will appear in two blocks below the mall. You can either click the store front you see, the sign, or the block below the mall to visit that store's website.

If you think your store should be added to the mall, please message me. There are two more stores I would like to add to the mall, but I am still having trouble accessing their website.

Currently, storefronts in the mall are available to all businesses who provide ecommerce to all of Delmarva and beyond. If the prototype mall works out and is received well, storefronts in the mall will be limited to subscribers of Shop Local Delmarva. In the mean time, basic members of Shop Local Delmarva can enjoy their free store front.

My only concern with the mall at this point is I would like to add more user interactivity to it. Wouldn't it be great to be shopping in the Shop Local Delmarva Virtual Mall and be able to talk to the other shoppers in the mall? Limited resources and technical know-how are two obstacles to overcome, but I'm working on that possibility.

Please let me know what you think of the virtual mall. Any and all feedback is appreciated, even constructive criticism. I can only make it as good as what you, the business owner and shopper, tell me.