As Bristol Scrambles For Votes, Wabash Business Owners Look Back At Win

In February 2016 when Wabash, Indiana was preparing its letter for consideration in the inaugural Small Business Revolution competition, the changes that would come to the town probably didn’t seem as huge as they would ultimately end up being.

After they won, businesses got direct help from the Deluxe Corporation, which helps with small business services, through the Small Business Revolution program and streaming series.

Individual businesses were granted staying power and tourism and overall awareness of Wabash was increasing. Plus, there was an increase in visitors were coming in from Chicago and all over Indiana, according to residents and business owners in the town.

Now, Bristol Borough is eligible for the same help, and the community rallying to support the effort.

“The community recognized that we had to do more,” explained Christine Flohr, the executive director of tourism for Visit Wabash County. Comparable to locally-known Bill Pezza and other area supporters, Flohr and other town leaders were really urging the community, which was not leading in the final days of the competition, to vote and bring the contest home.

“I still get goosebumps thinking about it,” Flohr said.

The town had gathered at the historic Eagles movie theater to watch the results of the final voting and was thrilled to learn they had won.

“This whole process has been exciting and adventurous but kind of scary at the same time,” said Tracy Griffith, who co-owns Thriftalicious with her husband Aaron. Thriftalicious was featured in episode six of the first season of Small Business Revolution.

Through meetings and focused work, the producers of the program helped the Griffiths to focus down their inventory and do what they do best in terms of items, she said.

The program helped with minor physical improvements, but also brought marketing up to speed through sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor, Griffith said.

Deluxe helped out with branding for other businesses in Wabash as well.

Eclectic Shoppe, an artisanal store that focuses on gifts, art and home decor items, received packaging, branding and even an updated logo after Wasbash won the competition last year.

“They really listen,” said. Maria Smyth, who owns Eclectic Shoppe with her husband Mike.

Even though most of their work was done, Deluxe maintains a presence helping out business owners who need assistance with things like email promotion or social media branding, business owners said.

“They truly care about small businesses and towns,” Smyth said. “It was such an incredible experience and it continues.”

“It’s not a one and done,” Flohr began. Since they won, Wabash’s impression numbers and visitors have increased.

“For our town, it brought us together like nothing I have ever experienced,” Maria Smyth concluded.

In fact, community unity is something that everyone in Wabash commented on during conversations with LevittownNow.com. The residents and business owners said increased community unity was a major upside to winning and being involved with, the competition.

“We’re like a family,” Griffith said of the business community in Wabash.

Business owners and residents in Bristol are hopeful that the Small Business Revolution can bring the same support and boost to Bucks County.

As part of the voting process this year, residents in Wabash said Bristolians have reached out to them and asked for their support in the final days of voting.

“A win for us is a win for all of us,” Smyth said.

As Thursday the final day of voting for season two looms, Bristol Borough slipped into second place, according to a Wednesday afternoon announcement. If the residents of the borough have their way though, their comeback and win will make them similar to Wabash in just one more way.