GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A local business owner is using his business’ resources to give other businesses a lifeline during the coronavirus shutdown.
Derek Sutton owns Visioneer Branding which …
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GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A local business owner is using his business’ resources to give other businesses a lifeline during the coronavirus shutdown.
Derek Sutton owns Visioneer Branding which works with large events like competitions, sports games and more. With essentially nothing happening during the COVID-19 shutdown, his branding company has taken a hit similar to the hits taken by other local businesses like restaurants and coffee shops. That hasn’t stopped him from creating a lifeline where the entire community can get involved.
“If you go to the website (https://www.saveclaybiz.com), you’ll find our Lifesaver T-shirt,” Sutton said. “Our aim with the program was simplicity. We knew a lot of people needed some help and they needed it fast. A lot of people are waiting on relief...and that’s up in the air...so we wanted to jump in and this Lifesaver design on the T-shirt symbolizes the action that each purchase represents.”
You select a shirt color and size on the website and before checking out, you’re prompted to enter the name of a Clay County business. Ten dollars of every purchase will go to that business. Sutton said you can’t complete the purchase without entering a business’ name.
“Each purchase is like throwing out a lifeline to these businesses and their employees.”
The Save Clay Biz Project has only been live for about two weeks, but it’s already helped raise a couple thousand dollars for local businesses. The money is delivered on a weekly basis, Sutton said.
“With the shutdowns and the social distancing directives caused by the ongoing health crisis we knew this was having a terrible impact on businesses everywhere,” Sutton said. “Many rely on foot traffic to make their living. We saw an opportunity for the community...and saw that we could leverage our resources to provide relief and reduce their burden.”
Sutton said his already-existing online merchandise store was a perfect fit for the project, so he and his work partners were able to mobilize a grassroots movement like this quickly. As a lifelong Clay County native, Sutton said it hurts to see the local businesses he’s loved for years hurting. He could easily have just made the shirts and profited from them for his company but that thought never crossed his mind. It was important for him to give back to the county he’s loved and supported all his life.
“We have a heart to help here,” Sutton said. “We love Clay County. It’s our home and we hate to see it struggling. It’s been a scary time for sure...unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my life but we’re all just hoping for the best.
“We’re hoping we can collectively get a grasp on this health crisis and come out together. We want to make sure everybody can be here for good when this is all over.”