The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Don't leave home without it: The Think Dexter First card
By Sean Dalton, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: April 3, 2008
Purchasing goods and services locally is a good bargain when looking at the big picture of keeping jobs and money in the community.
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But the Think Dexter First group - comprised of Dexter Area Chamber of Commerce members and ShopDexter.com - is providing an additional incentive on May 1 when they launch the Think Dexter First Discount Card, which will be available for purchase at the chamber office.
The card will allow patrons of participating local businesses around the Dexter area to receive discounts on purchases.
"This is a way of saying 'thank you' for helping Dexter keep its unique identity and quality of life," said Mary Pierce, head of Think Dexter First and a chamber board member.
Pierce said the card is a common-sense project for her, with the variety of businesses that are locally owned and supported within the Dexter community.
According to Pierce 24 businesses have committed to the discount card, and that number is expected to jump to 50 "soon" and to 100 by Christmas. Participation is simple and enrollment is going on right now.
"To participate with the program, you just have to contact me at 734-424-9500 or send an e-mail to dexterlender@yahoo.com," she said. "You can join through the chamber as well."
The idea is to cross-promote businesses, the community and even residents, according to Pierce. Participation in the card requires no obligation other than meeting a schedule to regularly update promotions to which the cards can be applied. Participants don't even have to join the chamber to be a part of it.
The only responsibility of participating merchants is to provide Pierce with a special each month, she said.
It would be as easy as e-mailing the promotion, such as a free dessert with a dinner or a percentage off an entrČe, retail product or service. A starter kit will be provided so the card is managed uniformly across the board.
Pierce says she has researched many Downtown Development Authorities and chambers that have a similar program, but other programs have flaws that she has worked out in Dexter's iteration of a "shop local" initiative.
"One thing that I noticed that on most of those programs; yes they had a discount, but they could only change it twice a year," she said.
"We have a means to change it depending on the season or where their market is at (with the monthly adjustment schedule)."
Some restrictions still exist, depending on the merchant.
Businesses like Pierce's The Home Lending Center that can't offer a discount on their own service due to legal or business practice restrictions could offer a free service or product at another participating business, creating "sub-partnerships" within the group, Pierce said.
"What I want to do is show a business not involved with the chamber the value of being involved in the chamber," Pierce said.
"I want people to say, 'I'm going to go ahead and join the chamber because of all of these other networking and marketing opportunities we have.'"
Getting the cards into residents' hands is going to be a multifaceted effort, according to Pierce, who encourages residents to come into the chamber offices at 3215 Central St.
For a $20 annual fee, residents can purchase the Think Dexter First card and key tag and use it anywhere the group's logo is posted.
In addition to chamber distribution channels and other events, the cards will also be sold through a partnership with the Athletic Booster Club of Dexter.
"They represent 23 athletic teams and have a relationship with the school, so we think we have a targeted audience there," Pierce noted.
On top of simply directing traffic to local businesses and being a promotional tool for them, the card is designed as a fundraising tool for the chamber.
Pierce says she would like to buy billboard advertisements and purchase advertising elsewhere to build the Think Dexter First campaign into a Dexter-area household name.
Booster Club pitches in
Sports boosters in Dexter were already planning on selling a discount card, similar to the Varsity Gold card that the Touchdown Club sells.
These promotions are designed to raise funds for Dexter athletics and newcomers are chomping at the bit to be involved, according to club secretary Shawn Letwin.
"We were going to do a 'Dreadnaught discount card,' when we were approached by Think Dexter First and asked to partner with them," Letwin said.
"We have access to all teams in the school district to promote the card, and (subsequently) sales to local merchants. We bring a tremendous market to sell cards quickly."
Letwin presented the idea to the boosters board in January, when Cindy Glahn, a board member and Pierce's right hand in Think Dexter First, approached him with the proposed partnership.
The following month Pierce's group made a presentation to the boosters and they voted in favor of pursuing it.
The club is no slouch when it comes to raising money, with $200,000 in funds brought into Dexter athletics over the past five years, according to Letwin.
"The (disbursals) of money range from grants for specific team needs, facilities and concession sales that all teams are eligible to receive money from."
The Think Dexter First card's $20 fee would go mostly to the booster club, with $5 retained as an administrative fee and the other $15 going to sports activities for cards that are sold by students and club members that sell cards within the network.
Letwin says that as a representative of women's swim and dive teams, he sees the value in the card from all angles.
"We would get ($225) if we sell 15 cards - you do the math. That's a huge benefit to (my) teams and everybody shops in Dexter.
"Everybody wins."
Other school groups, such as the forensics team, debate team, bands, middle school teams and others in the district could also work with the boosters to sell cards and support their own functions.
Kids will start pre-selling cards when they get back from spring break, Letwin said.
"Hopefully the cards will be available (as soon as possible), because we want to get the cards out and get the kids selling them before school ends," he said.
During a time when excess school funds are as plentiful as dinosaurs and districts are resorting to bond proposals to repair, update and upgrade infrastructure, these sorts of fund-raising initiatives are the way of the future, according to Letwin.
"It can pay for things that the school district does not have the funds to pay for," he said. "There are some restrictions and issues (particularly with Title IX state funding). We provide extras."
Pierce says to think of this as a merger between the boosters and Think Dexter First.
"We will handle the running around and they can get us into the schools," Pierce said.
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