In past years we developed such cooperative efforts as Reading for Entertainment ® & The Birthday Club by partnering with the St.Clair County Library System and the Macomb County Library System - Richmond Branch Only. Both programs have been highly successful due to community involvement. The reading program serves a dual purpose by promoting reading and promoting the library as a community resource. This program clearly demonstrates how the cooperative efforts of two diverse organizations are able to build a strong bond within the community.

The Birthday Club and Reading for Entertainment® are two potential applications of a new concept we would like to propose to other local businesses.

The Circle of Commerce® is an attempt to take a cooperative approach to increase the sales and customer base of all organization participants. The basic application is the trading of goods and services: the theatre exchanges 10 gift certificates worth $5.00 each for gift certificates of equal value and similar denomination of an advertiser.

The goal is to increase sales, driven by the gift certificates, and to gain exposure to new customers. Ideally, the gift certificate denominations distributed should be less than a typical sale item. This requires the customer to add cash to the gift certificate to complete the sale. For example, a $10.00 gift certificate toward an oil change that has a total cost of $25.00. Examples of how to distribute the gift certificates are: sales promotions, employee incentives/awards, prize drawings, cross promotions with other businesses, prizes to increase email club participation, etc.

The Circle of Commerce® does not require any out-of-pocket cost, can be turned on and off as you desire, generates more sales and additional customers, customers add additional cash to complete the sale and finally it keeps commerce within the local community.

Interested businesses can email us at jasonlillmars@aol.com

Thank you.