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Andy Follett is hoping his latest business venture will help
area residents shop local businesses, increase business for local entrepreneurs
and help those businesses find an alternative to local chambers of commerce.

Follett is one of the four partners who started the Chester
and Delaware County Local First groups. He likened Local First to a small
business association

He said Local First is a way for local businesses to compete
with the national chain big box stores, and it also serves as an alternative to
local chambers of commerce.

“It’s a membership driven entity where locally owned
businesses can join and receive the benefits and exposure that you’d get if you
were to purchase regular advertising or Internet advertising, but at a much
reduced rate” Follett said.

He said it’s an attempt to even the playing field for the
local businesses to help them compete for the consumers’ attention. And the
services on the sites feature local businesses.

“[It’s purpose] is to help give them the exposure they need,
to level the playing field with the national chains and big box businesses and
to give residents in the area tools to use, and give the businesses tools to
use so they come together on line and find each other.”

Follett added that it’s good for the consumer to purchase
from local businesses because it helps 
“strengthen the living local economy. The money that’s spent in the
local area tends to stay in the local area.”

He said it would be better for the local economy if
residents bought nuts and bolts from a locally owned hardware store than one of
the national chain stores.

Buying from that locally owned store, he said, “supports the
local economy, creates jobs and helps the environment … The revenue that goes
out of state to the corporate offices of these large companies doe not help the
local tax revenue or the local parks or the local charities, even.”

He also said that Local First does more than just market on
the Internet. The company runs TV ads on cable.

“We’re trying to give residents an alternative, a place to
go to find an alternative local business. We’re also trying to give local
businesses an alternative trying to go out on their own and pay for Comcast
advertising, or Internet advertising. It’s more of a cooperative,” he said.

Follett said Local First also wants to give businesses an
alternative to the local chambers of commerce.

“Speaking with many locally owned businesses,” Follett said,
“they join the chambers and really don’t get anything out of it. The biggest
complaint we hear was that,’ We joined the chambers, we go to these functions
and unless you’re a bank or an insurance guy or real estate guy, it doesn’t do
us any good.’”

The more members Local First has, the more money there will
be to help educate consumers and buy more media time, he added. Membership
costs $200 per year.

Follett said the concept behind Local First has been growing
for about seven years and it fit what he and his partners, all local
entrepreneurs in Delaware and Chester counties, were looking for.

All of the partners, he said, have Internet marketing
experience and have other businesses as well.

“We understand the struggle of trying to keep staff, the
struggle against big box businesses and trying to live the American dream,”
Follett said.

Anyone interested in learning more about Local First should
go to www.GetLocalFirst.com,
or call Follett at 610-873-8500.