The arrival of COVID-19 in Vermont has changed “business as usual” for all Vermonters. The hospitality and personal service industry has been particularly hard hit as Vermonters are told to “stay home.”

Businesses have had to get creative to try and generate revenue and balance safety for their customers and staff. That’s true of a lot of service-based businesses from restaurants and inns to hairstylists and house cleaners. Without customer support, it’s impossible. 

Union Street Media, Scout Digital, Junapr and media veteran Brad Roberston joined forces to create LoveVermont.org to help organize the effort around supporting your local favorite Vermont small business.  The site makes it easy for anyone to purchase a gift certificate or contribute to an online fundraising platform the business is using.

“Having seen San Francisco’s SaveOurFaves.org, I wondered if we could do something similar for Vermont and approached Ted Adler and Nicole Ravlin to see how we could pull this together quickly. What started as a restaurant-focused site has expanded to include other industries as the need across our service providers is very real, too,” explained Brad Roberston.

Restaurants, inns, salons, and retailers are welcome to participate in the site for free.  

“So much of what makes Vermont special is our community. The restaurants, bars, inns, and on the sidewalks of our small towns are where we convene together as a community,” said Ted Adler, president of Union Street Media and founder of Scout Digital. “Union Street Media and Scout Digital could not be more honored to work on this project.  We really do Love Vermont.” 

“There are a bunch of sites that have business listings and take out menus, but they are somewhat fragmented,” explains Nicole Junas Ravlin of Junapr. “Love Vermont is designed to be inclusive of all Vermont businesses and make it easy for the customer to search and with a direct link on how to help that specific business. Businesses provide a  link to a take out menu, an online shop for gift certificates or merchandise, or to a donation site like GoFundMe for the business owner to get access to cash to help bridge them until relief arrives.”

In addition to Roberston, Adler, and Junas Ravlin, the Love Vermont team includes Travis Bragg, Robin Hrynyszyn, Nicole Bouffard, Jess Cover, Nat White-Joyal, and Todd LaMothe. 

Visit LoveVermont.org to support Vermont businesses and to find out how to get your business listed.