By: Christy Schutz, CRAVE Tampa Bay
Most consumers have heard by now how important it is to shop at our local, small businesses. Entrepreneurship is believed to spark new technologies and innovations, provide new jobs, create healthy competition, and ultimately, improve the end products consumers are craving…all critical aspects needed for economic recovery.
Many women not only understand this concept and WANT to “buy local,” they also get satisfaction when supporting other women business owners. If only they had a little bit of help identifying who these amazing, eclectic and dynamic entreprenesses are, what services they offer, and how to find them. Enter CRAVE Tampa Bay. Creating this resource is exactly what the CRAVE Tampa Bay project intends to do.
The centerpiece of the CRAVE project is the CRAVE Tampa Bay Guide, due out Spring 2011! Touted as the “The Urban Girl’s Manifesto,” the CRAVE Tampa Bay Guide is a classy, 4-color, coffee table-quality book on Tampa Bay living and shopping. The Guide will feature more than 100 of the most creative, interesting and gutsy female proprietors throughout the Bay Area, organized by a host of different categories (including home/interior design; jewelry and fashion; children and Mom-related products and services; spa, salon, beauty and fitness; pet-related services; food, drink and caterers; networking, media, technology, and event services; business- to-business professionals and more) and by geography (South Tampa, Carrollwood, New Tampa, St. Pete, Clearwater, Dunedin, Sarasota, etc.).
In addition to 7,500+ Guides circulating throughout the area, there will also be networking events, workshops, soirees, and a very active social media campaign, all designed to let the entire Bay Area know about the interesting, varied, and savvy business women that bring depth and dollars to our community.
We could all use a getaway, and at CRAVE, we believe that you don’t need to be a jet-setter to have a little adventure—there’s so much to explore right here in Tampa Bay! We encourage you to break your routine, to venture from your regular haunts, to visit new neighborhoods, and get to know the CRAVE Tampa Bay entrepreneurs. Whether it’s to hunt for a birthday gift, indulge in a spa treatment, order a bouquet of flowers, or sip happy hour cocktails with the girls after work, let CRAVE be your inspiration to turn to for one-of-a-kind, hometown journeys and experiences.
To nominate a local, woman-owned business (or to participate yourself), please contact the CRAVE Tampa Bay City Leaders, Nancy Vaughn or Christy Schutz today! You may reach Nancy Vaughn via phone at 813-994-9807 or via email at nancy@craveparty.com. You may reach Christy Schutz via phone at 813-969-3130 or via email at Christy@craveparty.com. You can also learn more about The CRAVE Company by visiting their website at
www.thecravecompany.com/TampaBay.
For the latest on the CRAVE Tampa Bay Guide project, information on CRAVE events and more, follow us on Twitter @CRAVEtampabay or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CRAVEtampabay
