Looking for ways to connect and engage with people like me, the Farragut Business Alliance has rolled out its own smartphone application, Shop Farragut.
The app's release is part of the continued mission of the organization, which aims to promote and support local businesses, said David Purvis, president of the Farragut Business Alliance, who also owns Farragut Wine and Spirits and HealthOne, a third-party health care billing company.
The app consists of four icons divided into categories of businesses, business lookup, events and current deals.
Users can find a business by name, by category or by a search. Click on the name of the business and up comes a phone number, GPS navigation and a link to its website.
There is a monthly calendar of upcoming events. And each week, it will feature different deals from various Farragut businesses.
For instance, current deals include a discount on a bottle of wine at Farragut Wine and Spirits, 10 percent off at McDonald's, 20 percent off at The Shrimp Dock and a free facial waxing with any service purchase at The Phoenix Salon.
Users can share a business or a deal on social sites like Facebook or Twitter.
Purvis said there's been a lot of interest from businesses outside of the city limits, but they are intent on keeping it strictly for those located within Farragut.
When I spoke to Purvis earlier this week, the Shop Farragut app had been downloaded more than 70 times.
The biggest challenge has been getting small businesses engaged.
"We're trying to get them outside of their four walls and realize the return they will see," Purvis said.
The Farragut Business Alliance originated three years ago when an informal group of business owners got together to talk about issues unique to them.
They organized the city's first Taste of Farragut, which caught the attention of town officials who gave the group a contract for services.
"We were just trying to be advocates for the city," Purvis said. "We didn't mean to be a formal organization."
The Alliance is responsible for four annual events: Taste of Farragut, Red, White & Blues Festival, Light the Park and Art in the Park, which wrapped up this past weekend.
It also focuses on economic development issues, with the goal of trying to retain businesses and keep them successful, Purvis said.
The Shop Farragut app is available for free in iTunes and the Android marketplace.
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Comments » 11
ghost_of_JFET_and_Jerk writes:
I would rather have an app called Don't Shop Farragut, which ties into the phone GPS, so that users get an alarm every time they're about to spend sales tax in a town that short changes education, like Farragut does.
halfacre65 writes:
I knew the West Knoxville haters were out there somewhere. Exactly how do they short change education?
dpurvis#244593 writes:
Wow!!!!
ghost_of_JFET_and_Jerk writes:
First of all, Farragut and "West Knoxville" (your words) are not the same thing. So you just show your ignorance when you assume that I am a "West Knoxville hater."
Secondly, if you were informed at all about the local tax structure and what each governing body does with their tax money, you would know that, compared to Knoxville and the unincorporated sections of Knox County, the Town of Farragut significantly short-changes education, so that they can have all the amenities of a city without a city property tax.
What Farragut does is underhanded, and they should be called out on it at every opportunity. If they ran their own school system, they would lose money under the State's revenue balancing system. Instead, they benefit (as part of Knox County), by the funding received by the State based on the poorer sections of Knox County and Knoxville, then keep the all the local sales taxes for their sidewalks, all the while having fundraisers for "their" schools so that they have the best of everything.
ghost_of_JFET_and_Jerk writes:
You sound surprised, Durv. Don't be.
dpurvis#244593 writes:
No, I understand the dynamics. I'm surprised at your out pouring of hatred.
The focus of all of us should be the improvement of our community, i.e., Farragut, Knoxville and Knox County. "Rising water lifts all ships"
halfacre65 writes:
Farragut is part of Knox County, that being WEST Knox County. We can tell by your hatred that you hate Farragut thus West Knoxville. Get a map and an education and figure it out.
So why don't you have a fundraiser for your school and your side of town instead of complaining about other communities that try to better their schools and community?
You can tell by your ignorance and hatred that you have no clue what your are talking about.
ghost_of_JFET_and_Jerk writes:
At least David used an appropriate cliche in his response. You, on the other hand, got nothing...
You didn't even attempt to address the issue: Farragut provides 66% less of the locally-collected sales tax revenue toward education than the rest of the county, all the while financially benefitting from the poorer portions of the county via BEP.
And for the record, the "why don't you have a fundraiser for your school" attitude is wrong-headed and is the exact reason for the existence of BEP in this state (it's a legally mandated settlement to a lawsuit from years ago... but hey, you clearly have no time to let facts get in your way).
dpurvis#244593 writes:
But Farragut pays the highest property tax per capita than any other section of Knox County and the Farragut area schools bear the largest portion of students transferred from other areas due to No Child Left Behind. Also, 40% of the children in Farragut attend private schools, so aren't we paying twice?
dpurvis#244593 writes:
Since you refer to me openley by name, might I ask what yours is?
halfacre65 writes:
Your the one who originally posted "while having fundraisers for "their" schools so that they have the best of everything.""
I called you out on it and you did not like it. You brought it up that they have the fundraisers for their schools so they..., what fundraisers have you had for others schools so they can benefit?
"You didn't even attempt to address the issue: Farragut provides 66% less of the locally-collected sales tax revenue toward education than the rest of the county" Addressing that now, we pay more in property tax than anywhere else in the county, that goes into revenue for Knox county to be split up. So is that fair? You don't hear them complaining.
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