| While hard working florists and gift shop
owners were going about their everyday jobs, a villain, florists
term "skimmers" were stealing profits and states were
losing large sales tax revenues. The term
"skimmer" stands for a business who deceives the public
into buying products by advertising they are a local business.
Most towns with a population over 5000 might find more than one of
these businesses in their white or yellow page ads. CBS news
reported two specials on this topic. |
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| Internet businesses have also jumped on this
by creating local town pages with what appears to be a local
floral or gift shop, when really it is a company in another town
or state. A customer ordering flowers and gifts for family
out of town from these businesses, just to have the order
"skimmed" of 40% before being relayed to a local
business. |
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| How does business compete with
deception? Become aware and then tell the world. Start
with local Chamber of Commerce and Main Street meetings and don't
stop there. The next time you give a Rotary Speech, or a
sounding off in the local newspaper educate a few more
customers. |
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| YourTownChamber.com and
FloralandGift.com work very hard to provide "real"
local business. Check out your town. As you help other
towns, this will also help yours. |
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