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Sometimes we face challenges and despite our best efforts, it can seem like there are no answers. Note I said it can “seem” like that. In my experience, most obstacles or challenges can be overcome to some degree simply by working the problem. That is, sitting down and thinking intelligently about it.

One problem that a lot of regional cities like Orange are facing at the moment, is a quieter trading period. People generally are not spending a lot of money and haven’t for a couple of months.

Here in Orange, there is one way that all of us can help address this situation, albeit in just a small way.

Basically, if we can encourage locals to spend more of their money locally, rather than buying online from places that provide no benefit to Orange whatsoever, we’ll be helping to keep our economy stronger, this will in turn help keep our local businesses viable and able to keep employing people etc. The benefits of spending our money in our own local city and supporting our own local businesses have been well publicised but to be honest, I feel a lot of people still don’t get it.

All of us, and I mean all of us can make a difference if we have a mind to. There’s a system in place for us to do something, all we need to do is take advantage of it.

It’s called Shop Orange Gift Cards and although it’s been around for some time, many people haven’t latched onto it. Orange City Life is one business that thinks it’s a great concept and when people get into the swing of it sufficiently, it has the potential to make a significant and positive impact on our local economy and all that follows from that.

Allow me to tell you about some of the ways you can take advantage of Shop Orange. There are opportunities for business owners, employers and the public, all of us.

Let me say first up that what a Shop Orange Gift Card is simply a Gift Card that can be used or spent at one or more of 90 local businesses here in Orange. The cards can be purchased from a number of local businesses and you can choose to put the amount on the card of your choice, from $10 upward.

For Business owners
There are different ways you can be involved. You can simply join Shop Orange to become a business that accepts the Shop Orange Gift Cards. It’s free to join and it simply means that people who have a gift card can spend it with you. Go to www.shoporange.com.au to register your business.
You can also purchase Shop Orange Gift Cards and use them as rewards or sales incentives for your customers. You can use them as a value add or bonus offer, rather than offering a discount.

For Employers
If you want to acknowledge or reward a staff or team member for some reason, rather than give them cash or a bonus in their wages, you could purchase a Shop Orange Gift Card and give them that instead.

For the Public
In any situation where giving a gift to a family member, friend, workmate or anyone else, by giving them a Shop Orange Gift Card, you’re giving them the opportunity to choose something they want and giving them access to over 90 local businesses to get it from.

An Example
Orange City Life is an example of a business who is using the Shop Orange Gift Cards to advantage and helping Orange in the process. Through our various competitions, we issue several thousand dollars of prizes over a month or two. Some time back we decided to use Shop Orange Gift Cards rather than just cash. This in turn means that thousands of dollars are being spent at local businesses just because of this simple action on our part.

If more of us think creatively and use Shop Orange Gift cards more often, it will make a difference. For interest, we purchase our Shop Orange Gift Cards from the Clever Owl, winners however spend their winnings among the 90 plus businesses who belong to Shop Orange.