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  1. News from Us
  2. News from Members
  3. Events
  4. Press
  5. Dollars & Sense
  6. Profile Stories
  7. Updates
  8. Training Calendar
  9. Training Videos
  10. Jobs
+ Bridge in the News - Bridge in the News

528 Results:

May 15, 2023 We Got Sole 🩴
What Crocs can teach us about gaining new customers and keeping them happy.
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We Got Sole 🩴
What Crocs can teach us about gaining new customers and keeping them happy.
May 15, 2023
About 15 years ago, I bought a pair of Crocs sandals in Myrtle Beach, SC. Not only were they hot pink, but the insole was traffic cone orange. My buddies hated them, but oddly others loved them. The sandals were affordable (maybe $20), comfortable, and a conversation starter.

According to last week’s The New York Times' profile on Crocs, I’m one of tens of millions of happy Crocs owners. This happiness is profitable:
  • Crocs’ sales have almost doubled since 2019.
...
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May 13, 2023 Breakfast Placemats
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Breakfast Placemats
May 13, 2023
Enjoy this rustic textured woven placemat made from biodegradable vines, which is ideal for regular meals, family get-togethers, hotels, businesses, or coffee shops. Your friends and guests will be pleased by your gorgeous table arrangement, which is embellished with white wood polished beads and neutral earth tones of brown creamy tan that blend well both indoors and outdoors. Offered in a set of 4.


CALAISIO
natural elegance, extraordinary durability



 
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May 12, 2023 Serene Backyard Atmosphere
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Serene Backyard Atmosphere
May 12, 2023
The weather is finally perfect for entertaining outside. Let us help you create a serene atmosphere in your backyard for noshing, sipping cocktails, and relaxing with friends as the sun ☀️ goes down. View Post
May 9, 2023 RECIPES OF LOVE
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RECIPES OF LOVE
May 9, 2023
Spring brings forth a time of renewal and welcoming new memories with old friends. Enjoy delectable treats and refreshing food and drink this season.

Shop the Monterosa collection used for this Spring recipe. View Post
May 9, 2023 July is Independent Retailer Month
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July is Independent Retailer Month
May 9, 2023
I was happy to learn that a group is promoting July as Independent Retailer Month.  Shop Local supports indie shops and thinks this is a good idea.

In particular, I liked the marketing ideas on their Resources page, including these:
  • Bonus buck: Give customers a $1 coupon for every $10 they spend in your store in July. The coupon is redeemable in August.
  • Happy hour: Offer red, white and blue cookies/cupcakes with refreshments to promote the ‘independent’ touch. You
...
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March 30, 2023 WORK FRIENDS = HAPPY
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WORK FRIENDS = HAPPY
March 30, 2023
Do you have a good friend at work? These days, fewer people do. According to the New York Times, 40 years ago, 50% of us had a close friend at work; that number has dropped to less than 20%. Work has become a more transactional place. We go to the office to be efficient, not to form bonds. We may have plenty of productive conversations, but we also have fewer meaningful relationships. That’s not a good thing because work friends play a big part in our happiness.

Luckily, Rich Brinkman ...
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March 29, 2023 Italy on a Plate
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Italy on a Plate
March 29, 2023
In her debut memoir and cookbook, Susan Gravely celebrates 40 years as Founder and Creative Director of VIETRI. Italy on a Plate is an exploration into what makes Italy so magical: its staggering beauty, unparalleled style, artistic legacy, and incredible food. The close friends she has made during her years of Italian travels have graciously shared favorite family recipes that you’ll make time and time again. View Post
March 8, 2023 THE PERFECT LITTLE CREAMER
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THE PERFECT LITTLE CREAMER
March 8, 2023
The greatest moments come from the smallest details. Invite your friends and family for tea and display these unforgettable accents around your table.

Create stunning tablescapes with Festa. View Post
March 2, 2023 The Heart Collection ♥️
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The Heart Collection ♥️
March 2, 2023
Love that never fades ♥️  The heart collection is a universal symbol of love, hope, friendship, and caring--the perfect new accessory to bring good energy to your space, or friends. View Post
February 8, 2023 Who's ready for spring? 🌸
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Who's ready for spring? 🌸
February 8, 2023
As Winter’s chill overstays its welcome, we all look forward to Spring’s warmer days, and to dining with friends.

Our generously proportioned Beatriz Ball ORGANIC PEARL metal ice bucket allows you to serve icy-cold bottles of wine, beer, or soda that your guests will enjoy from a serving piece they will love! It can be given as a unique gift that is sure to impress. View Post
January 31, 2023 New Member Targets 🎯
How setting goals for our new members can help them be more successful.
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New Member Targets 🎯
How setting goals for our new members can help them be more successful.
January 31, 2023
When growing our network, we consider what it takes to keep existing members and grow into other industries. Andrew Chen in The Cold Start Problem reports that Facebook famously wanted a user to get 10 friends in a week because then the person would likely use the service. Similarly, Slack said users with about 10 connections tend to become active users. My company currently doesn’t have such new user benchmarks and we need to develop them. 

Adding New Retail Members to the Product...
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January 31, 2023 Best Wine Games
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Best Wine Games
January 31, 2023
There are many ways to enjoy wine. Tasting it may be your first thought, of course, but what about learning things about wine and all your favorite varieties? If you enjoy a good game night, consider trying some of these fun wine games as part of your next one and test your knowledge or just have some fun!
Test your wine knowledge with a wine tasting game. Learn to identify wine in terms of region, vintage, and more based on taste and smell, only. You get to improve your wine knowledge while ...
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January 31, 2023 Networks: Let's Tango 💃🏽🕺🏼
How integrating a messaging service into our e-commerce platform can help us acquire new customers.
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Networks: Let's Tango 💃🏽🕺🏼
How integrating a messaging service into our e-commerce platform can help us acquire new customers.
January 31, 2023
It takes a lot of people to build a bridge, but just two to tango. This applies to the analog world as well as the digital one. In the digital space, I'm using tango to refer to messaging between two people. I believe messaging is a service we can add to our offering to diversify how our company Shop Local grows.

Different Networks Require a Different Number of Users in a Group
Andrew Chen in The Cold Start Problem states that a key difference among network models is the required minimum ...
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January 26, 2023 Zola: A Rotten Gift to Indie Stores?
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Zola: A Rotten Gift to Indie Stores?
January 26, 2023
Our retailers recently told us that customers are calling and asking about non-existent brides, and brides are asking about non-existent registry gift lists (e.g. wedding registry lists, baby lists).

We investigated the issues and below is what we found. 

What is Happening:
We found that many of these purchases are coming from registrants that open a ‘universal registry’ on websites such as Zola or MyRegistry. These universal registry services allow the registrant to add ...
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January 24, 2023 MyRegistry and Zola Are Confusing Merchants--and Sometimes Taking Their Orders
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MyRegistry and Zola Are Confusing Merchants--and Sometimes Taking Their Orders
January 24, 2023
Our retailers recently told us that they were confused by strange registry orders. The stores are receiving gift registry orders on their sites but the retailer does not have a registry for the gift recipient at its store. Customers are calling and asking about non-existent brides, and brides are asking about non-existent registry gift lists (e.g. wedding registry lists, baby lists).

We investigated the issues and below is what we found. 

What is Happening:
We found that many of...
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January 14, 2023 Good to See Industry Friends in Atlanta
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Good to See Industry Friends in Atlanta
January 14, 2023
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December 28, 2022 Referrals: Johnny Softwareseed 👨‍🌾 🍎
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Referrals: Johnny Softwareseed 👨‍🌾 🍎
December 28, 2022
In the book The Cold Start Problem, Andrew Chen says that the 'network effect’ is really three effects: 
  • The acquisition effect 
  • The engagement effect
  • The monetization effect 

In the beginning, a business seeking to build a network has to concentrate on acquiring users, even if they are non-paying. Companies often give away the service, especially software companies, and we can see that with Facebook, Slack, TikTok, and many others.  Bridge didn’t do ...
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December 26, 2022 Ride the Shop Local Movement
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Ride the Shop Local Movement
December 26, 2022
We think that biking (and walking) and shopping local go hand in hand. We'd like to create an e-bike to display at trade shows.

PS - Thanks for our friends at MOD Bikes for making such a cool e-bike:
https://mod-bikes.com/products/mod-easy-electric-cruiser-bike-and-sidecar View Post
December 24, 2022 Merry Christmas From Our Family To Yours
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Merry Christmas From Our Family To Yours
December 24, 2022
Create a fairytale experience and enjoy quality time with family and friends. The best meals are those prepared by loving hands and the fondest memories are made gathered around a table. Happy Holidays from Calaisio!


CALAISIO
natural elegance, extraordinary durability
  View Post
December 23, 2022 Wine Bottle Coaster Holiday Cheers!
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Wine Bottle Coaster Holiday Cheers!
December 23, 2022
Whether you are entertaining a group of friends or looking to add some holiday cheer to your home, this woven wine bottle coaster is the perfect centerpiece for that gathering.   It is made of pure, 100% organic vines showcasing a natural rustic realness, evoking woodsy images adding an authentic touch to your favorite bottles of reds, whites, and rosés.  Cheers to the holiday season!


CALAISIO
natural elegance, extraordinary durability
 
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Next page

Press: Shop Local & Bridge in the News
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October 2024

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August 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Florida Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Florida Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
April 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Tennessee Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Tennessee Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
April 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Louisiana Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Louisiana Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
April 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Delaware Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Delaware Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
April 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Pennsylvania Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants in Pennsylvania Get Google Sales Leads 🔍
March 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants Get Sales Leads in Mississippi
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants Get Sales Leads in Mississippi
March 2024

Shop Local Merchants Are 60% of Google Page 1 Results in South Carolina
Shop Local Merchants Are 60% of Google Page 1 Results in South Carolina
March 2024

Shop Local Merchants Are 50% of Google Page 1 Results in Georgia
Shop Local Merchants Are 50% of Google Page 1 Results in Georgia
March 2024

Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants Get More Sales Leads than Big-Box Stores Using Google
Shop Local Helps Indie Merchants Get More Sales Leads than Big-Box Stores Using Google
February 2024

Shop Local Retailers Rank on Page 1 of Google in 60% of States
Shop Local Retailers Rank on Page 1 of Google in 60% of States
February 2024

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