Message from the Director, Patrick Small:
Some people take to new technology like a duck to water. These are the people who stand for hours in line to get the latest smart phone or who waited 45 minutes at a restaurant for the only Uber in town while a taxi was parked outside. We call them “Early Adopters” and I’m sure you know one. They support the entrepreneurs and businesses we call disruptors and innovators. You may be a technophile yourself, delighting in the latest gadgets and apps. Others, possibly still using flip phones, are technophobes and you probably know fewer of them. Most of us fall somewhere in between.
The City of Manassas as an organization tends towards early adoption and innovation. In fact, many of the programs and initiatives we launch are copied by others. I think our smaller size and emphasis on empowering employees helps with that. It means we can be more nimble than larger governments and, provided we follow basic policies and procedures, launch programs without a lengthy approvals process or fear of failure.
Recently the Department of Economic Development launched a new electronic gift card program, the HEART BEAT Card. The platform is called Yiftee! and while we didn’t invent it or adopt it first, we’re definitely on the cutting edge. The card is unique because it behaves like a regular Master Card gift card, but can only be used at participating merchants. This allows for the program to be specifically targeted to supporting Manassas businesses. Companies can buy the gift card for employee rewards or to use as prizes for drawings at events and individuals can buy them for friends and family. When gifted the card appears on the recipient’s phone almost instantaneously and when it is used the value decreases automatically and is clearly displayed. There are no apps or downloads required.
I led with talking about early adopters so that’s how I’ll conclude. The first three merchants to sign up; Shining Sol, Popcorn Monkey and Sinistral, are all innovative business owners eager to explore new ways to reach and please customers. All three are also huge cheerleaders for Manassas. However, for the program to be successful, consumers have to adopt the platform. I want to give a huge shout out to Gayle Whitlock at Whitlock Wealth Management. Not only did Gayle sign up CenterFuse, the City’s coworking space she and her husband co-own with their partners at ECU Communications, as a merchant…..but Gayle sent the first HEART BEAT gift card. She wanted to say thank you to a former employee and that person’s favorite Historic Downtown Manassas businesses were rapidly adopting the new platform. So, the HEART BEAT card was perfect.
It’s not too late to be an early adopter yourself and here’s how.
- Sign up your business to accept the Heart Beat Gift Card.
- Begin using the Heart Beat Gift Card for company rewards programs.
- Send a Heart Beat Card to a friend or associate (they make great teacher’s and coach’s gifts!).
Simply go to https://app.yiftee.com/gift-card/manassas–virginia-manassas-2#locations and follow the simple instructions. You can be an early adopter and support your favorite local businesses too.