>>> WELL, IMAGINE MAIN STREET
IN YOUR HOMETOWN RIGHT HERE IN
JACKSONVILLE GETTING A HALF
MILLION DOLLAR MAKE OVER.
PLUS MARKETING AND BUSINESS
EXPERTS COMING IN TO HELP LOCAL
BUSINESS OWNERS LEARN AND GROW.
WELL, THAT HAPPENS, THAT'S JUST
ONE CHAPTER IN SMALL BUSINESS
REVOLUTION MAINSTREAM.
HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT IS THE
PROGRAM'S CREATOR, AMANDA
BRICKMAN OF THE DELUXE
CORPORATION AND THE SHARK THAT'S
ALWAYS THE FIRST ONE TO JUMP UP
AND TRY EVERYTHING FROM SHARK
TANK ROBERT.
HI GUYS.
>> HI.
>> I'VE SEEN YOU TEST SOME
THINGS THAT LOOKED KIND OF
DANGEROUS.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW.
AMANDA, TELL US WHAT THIS IS,
SMALL BUSINESS REVOLUTION,
WHAT'S IT ABOUT?
>> IT'S A MOVEMENT.
WE WANTED TO CREATE A REVOLUTION
ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND GET
PEOPLE TO SUPPORT SMALL
BUSINESSES.
SO THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR OF
THE SMALL BUSINESS REVOLUTION
MAINSTREAM.
WHICH IS A PROGRAM WHERE WE GO
INTO A SMALL TOWN AND INVEST
HALF A MILLIO DOLLARS IN
REVIVALIZING THEIR MAINSTREAM
THROUGH SMALL BUSINESSES.
SO WE RECEIVED 14,000
NOMINATIONS FROM TOWNS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
ALL 50 STATES, IN FACT, AND
WEAPON WENT OUT AND VISITED A
SHORT LIST OF TOWNS AND TODAY
ANNOUNCED THE 5 FINALISTS.
THAT AMERICA CAN VOTE ON.
AT SMALL BUSINESS
REVOLUTION.ORG.
YOU CAN VOTE.
AND THE WINNER WILL BE FEATURED
IN SEASON TWO OF THE SHOW.
>> THAT'S SO EXCITING.
ROBERT HOW ARE YOU INVOLVED AND
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE
INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT?
>> WELL AMANDA AND I HAVE BEEN
WORKING TOGETHER FOR TWO YEARS,
I'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO BE
INVOLVED.
IT'S A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES.
THAT'S WHAT SHARK TANK IS.
WE WORK WITH A LOT OF BUSINESSES
THAT NEED HELP.
AND THIS IS ON A WHOLE OTHER
SCALE.
BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST A
BUSINESS.
IT'S AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
>> AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT IS
ABOUT, THAT'S KIND OF LIKE WHAT
WE DO HERE ON OUR SHOW, "RIVER
CITY LIVE," WE'RE ABOUT HELPING
THE SMALL BUSINESSES.
AMANDA, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE FINALISTS,
WHAT THE DIFFERENCES ARE BETWEEN
THEM AND WHAT WE'RE REALLY
VOTING FOR.
>> YES.
ABSOLUTELY.
FIRST LET ME SHOW YOU THE FIVE
FINALISTS KINGS FORD CALIFORNIA,
JONESBORO, NORTH ADAMS
MASSACHUSETTS.
BRISTELL BORROW, PENNSYLVANIA.
AND EACH OF THESE TOWNS HAVE A
UNIQUE STORY.
THEY'VE ALL SEEN THEIR SHARE OF
BOOSTS AND BOOMS AND ALSO BUSTS.
BUT THERE'S A REALLY GREAT RENEE
SIGNS HAPPENING IN ALL OF THESE
TOWNS SO WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO
TO GO TO SMALL BUSINESS
REVOLUTION.ORG.
WE HAVE A MINI DOC ON EACH OF
THEM.
GET FAMILIAR WITH THE KIND OF
TOWN.
GET FAMILIAR WITH THE COMMUNITY
AND VOTE FOR WHO YOU THINK IS
DESERVING OF 500,000 DOLLAR
RENOVATION.
>> YOU ACTUALLY WENT TO THE
TOWN.
>> I DID.
WE VISITED EIGHT OF THE SHORT
LISTED TOWNS VERY HARD TO NARROW
IT DOWN TO THESE FIVE.
BUT EACH OF THEM ARE VERY
SPECIAL AND UNIQUE IN THEIR OWN
WAY.
>> I'M ASSUMING, WATCHING THE
SHOW, TOWN PLANNERS AND
EVERYBODY CAN TAKE AWAY THINGS
THAT THEY CAN DO TO IMPROVE
THEIR BUSINESS OR NEIGHBORHOODS
ANY WAY, WHETHER THEY'RE CHOSEN
OR NOT, CORRECT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND WE FEEL THAT FOR ALL FIVE OF
THESE FINALISTS AS WELL AS THE 8
SHORT LISTS OF TOWNS IT'S A
GREAT WAY TO DRAW ATTENTION WHY
YOUR TOWN IS GREAT AND USE THIS
AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE IT.
WE FEEL LIKE IN SEASON 1 OF THE
SHOW.
SMALL TOWNS CAN GLEAM A LOT HOW
THEY CAME TOGETHER AND
SURROUNDED SMALL BUSINESS
COMMUNITY.
SO WE HOPE THE SHOW IS A
RESOURCE NOT ONLY TO SMALL
BUILDINGS BUT SMALL TOWN
COMMUNITIES AS WELL.
>> THE GREAT THING IF YOU GO TO
SMALL BUSINESS REVOLUTION.ORG,
EVEN LOOK AT SEASON 1, THE WAY
THE DOCUMENTARY WAS CREATED IT'S
A LESSON FOR EVERYBODY THAT YOU
CAN LEARN FROM, IF YOU HAVE A
SMALL BUSINESS OR COMMUNITY.
>> AND SO WE CAN ALSO SEE HOW
THE SHOW HAS IMPACTED THAT SMALL
TOWN, I'M ASSUMING?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
YOU CAN SEE THE ENTIRE SEASON
ONE SMALL BUSINESS
REVOLUTION.ORG.
AND YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE
DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THESE FIVE
FINALISTS AND THEN WE WILL KNOW
WHO THE WINNER IS.
>> YES.
AND VOTE VOTE VOTE.
>> OKAY.
THAT SOUNDS GREAT.
>> AND VOTE.
>> IT SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY
WORTHWHILE PROJECT TOO.
AND ONE MORE TIME.
VOTE.
>> YES.