BY: RACHEL WUMKES

The Japanese writer, Ryunosuke Satoro said it best, “Individually, we are one drop.  Together, we are an ocean.”

This beautiful metaphor describes a very simple, practical idea that by working together, people can accomplish far more than they can alone.

In North Iowa, we are doing just that.  Banding together.  Working as one cohesive unit to help our small businesses.  These single drops aren’t just coming together to create an ocean…

We’re making waves!

Main Street Mason City, All Things Advertising, Visit Mason City, the Mason City and Clear Lake Chambers have partnered with Iowa Love, a free eGift card platform.  Our hope is to bring Iowans some love with the purchase of gift cards to keep their businesses afloat during these tough times. With the addition of various restrictions on small businesses, they need our help and support these days more than ever.

Now is the perfect time to snag up a few gift cards.  You know you’re going to need one down the road anyway.  Maybe for Mother’s Day?  Or an upcoming birthday gift?  Perhaps you’d like to spread out the cost of your next few haircuts, massages or manicures?  You can purchase gift cards for all these things now, helping your favorite small business in the process.

TO SHOP:

  1. Go to: Shop Local eGift Cards
  2. Click on the gift card you’d like to purchase
  3. Click “add to cart” – be sure to adjust the quantity to reflect the amount you’d like to purchase
  4. Follow the prompts to check out and pay
  5. If you don’t see your favorite retailer, send them a message so they can sign up!

FOR RETAILERS:

  1. Go to: https://iowalove.org/collections/cards
  2. Where it says “Click Here if you’re a Retailer” – Click there!
  3. Read all about how Iowa Love works
  4. You can either email william@iowalove.org or click the link to submit your entry
  5. Promote on social media!! Let everyone know they can purchase eGift Cards from your small business.  The service is free, they just ask you to cover the 4% processing fee.

This is a great opportunity for those businesses who are unable to provide an eGift card feature through their business.  With the increasing spread of COVID-19 throughout the state of Iowa, it’s the perfect opportunity to create sales for your small business while still maintaining proper social distancing.

And we are here to help and support you in any way we possibly can!  COVID-19 has put a wrench in the way many typically perform their day-to-day business.  This time in our lives is something none of us will ever forget.  The trials, tribulations, and uncertainty of our economy in North Iowa and throughout the entire country are very real.

But we’ll also never forget how we pulled together.  Our communities, our entire region.  We’ll remember banding as one united front, helping others for the common purpose of survival.  Keeping our small business owners above water until we figure out the next step.

Individually, we are all just one tiny drop, not capable of much.  But banded together, we create an ocean.  A deep sea in which we all can stay afloat.

And someday, when this is all over, we will sail off into the horizon a bigger, better North Iowa.  Confident in our ability to help each other get through whatever storm pops up along the way!