News Release: 11/29/2023

Kingsport Chamber and KOSBE
 
NEWS RELEASE
 
Wednesday, November 29, 2023                                                                                        
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                 
 
CONTACT:                                 
Aundrea Salyer
Chief Business Development Officer
Kingsport Chamber
Office of Small Business Development & Entrepreneurship (KOSBE)
Office: (423) 392-8801
asalyer@kingsportchamber.org
 
 
KOSBE LAUNCHES BUY LOCAL KOSBE BUCKS DIGITAL GIFT CARD, INVITES COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE SMALL BUSINESS SEASON & SUPPORT SMALL LOCAL MERCHANTS
 
Now give the experience of Kingsport’s unique restaurants, shops, entertainment and more to friends, family, employees, and clients in one simple digital Community Gift Card. 
 
Kingsport, Tennessee – November 27, 2023 – This year, the Kingsport Chamber and Kingsport Office of Small Business Development & Entrepreneurship (KOSBE) want to encourage you to keep holiday shopping local. Small businesses are the backbone of our community, providing jobs, tax dollars, contributions to our schools and non-profits, as well as the character that makes Kingsport unique. The KOSBE Bucks Card is a Kingsport-based digital gift card that makes it fun and easy to keep local spending local. Purchase a KOSBE Bucks Community Card here to spend at a number of participating merchants. Recipients could use it for their latte in the morning, visit the salon next door for a pedicure, grab lunch with a friend, hit the boutiques, and meet up for date night happy hour – all using their KOSBE Bucks Community Card from their mobile phone.
 
Aundrea Salyer, Chief Business Development Officer with Kingsport Chamber’s KOSBE Program said, “We are rolling this out just in time for Christmas shopping.  There are still some people out there who have not yet shopped, and they have no idea what to get for others.  This is a great gift idea for individuals or bulk corporate gifts.  Most importantly, it keeps the dollars in our local economy.  Right now, we are reaching out to merchants to get them on board.  The list you see now is evolving daily.  This program is not a seasonal one and done.  It will continue year-round and after this holiday season.  With so many existing small businesses and new ones popping up every day, we wanted to do something that would draw more attention to our small businesses and help keep them in business —whether they are a Chamber Member or not.  Any small business in Kingsport should consider becoming a participating merchant if they want to drive more business into their location.  There is no fee to participate and funds are automatically paid to merchants, via their usual Mastercard processor.” For more information visit www.kosbe.org/buylocal.      
 
The KOSBE Bucks Community Card is a unique gift for employees, friends and family that supports Kingsport. Recipients enjoy a fun experience spending it at our unique local shops, salons, spas, restaurants, entertainment and more.
 
Why Supporting Local Businesses Is So Important
Participating in this program means supporting the heart of what makes our community unique. The purchase of a KOSBE Bucks Community Card creates a pool of cash that local businesses in Kingsport can look forward to. Studies have shown that local independent retailers recirculate 47% of their revenue back into the community, while only 14% of national chains’ revenue stays in the community. More dramatically, restaurants recirculate 73% of their revenue back into the community, versus only 30% for national chains. 
 
By supporting local businesses, more money continues circulating through the local community—this is achieved through a combination of profits paid to local business owners, wages paid to local workers, goods and services procured locally for internal use or resale, and charitable giving within the community. If you’re looking for a way to do some good or want to know how you can help the community you love, send a KOSBE Bucks Community Card! For more information or to participate as a merchant in the program, please contact Aundrea Salyer at 423-392-8801 or email asalyer@kingsportchamber.org.  
 
KOSBE

In 2004, the Kingsport Chamber and City of Kingsport jointly formed the Kingsport Office of Small Business Development & Entrepreneurship (KOSBE), to specifically nurture, counsel and encourage the continued robust growth and development of startups and existing small businesses in Kingsport, Tennessee.
 
On February 15, 2011 your Kingsport Chamber announced the new partnership between KOSBE and the Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) becoming the TSBDC at ETSU Kingsport Affiliate Office.
 
KINGSPORT CHAMBER 
 
The Kingsport Chamber is composed of two non-profit organizations:  the Kingsport Chamber Foundation (501(c)(3)) and Kingsport Chamber of Commerce (501(c)(6)). 
 
The Kingsport Chamber Foundation manages, promotes, supports and assists a number of charitable, educational, environmental, leadership, quality of life and wellness programs that have a tremendous impact on the Kingsport community.
 
Programs of the Kingsport Chamber Foundation include:  Communications & Development; Downtown Concert Series; Downtown Kingsport Association; Education & Workforce Development; Finance & Human Resources; Fun Fest; Healthy Kingsport; Keep Kingsport Beautiful; Kingsport Leadership Programs (ENCORE Refresher – Senior leadership program, LeadUndivided, Leadership Kingsport, PEAK Young Professionals, S.C.R.E.A.M.! Middle School Leadership, and S.H.O.U.T.!® Youth Leadership); Kingsport Office of Small Business Development & Entrepreneurship (KOSBE); Move to Kingsport; Santa Train; Tennessee/Virginia Scholars; and Visit Kingsport.
 
The Kingsport Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to utilize resources and focus efforts on enhancing a strong and viable business environment for the Kingsport area. 
 
Programs of the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce include:  Communications & Development; Finance & Human Resources; Government Relations; and Membership.  The Kingsport Chamber of Commerce has nearly 1,000 members.
 
For more information on the Kingsport Chamber, go to KingsportChamber.org or call (423) 392-8800.  We’re social too; follow us on our Facebook page, Your Kingsport Chamber, our Twitter account, @kptchamber, on Instagram, LinkedIn or our YouTube channel.
 
YIFTEE, KEEP LOCAL DOLLARS LOCAL
 
Yiftee (Yiftee.com) serves more than 500 communities and 16,000 local businesses with simple, secure, PoS-independent Community Cards and eGift Cards that keep millions of local dollars local every year. Companies, schools, medical facilities, city governments, realtors/developers, and consumers purchase them for employees, clients, friends and family. Community Cards are FREE to set up and FREE for the merchants. Yiftee has a local partner in every community who brands and markets the program and recruits 10s to 100s of small businesses, who get incremental revenue and foot traffic. Redemption is powered by Mastercard® so no special equipment or integration is required, and implementation is quick and easy. Yiftee also provides custom-branded eGift Cards for individual merchants, franchises, and chains.