Checkit Local Comes to Concord

Imagine a business opportunity that allows you to shop at and promote local businesses, get discounts and bargains, and even earn a little bit of money along the way.

Checkit Local, a startup focusing on promoting those opportunities, has begun in Concord.

The company, which builds itself as an “intelligent local co-op,” combines a networking incentive program with a Groupon like advertising platform and local currency initiative in what local distributors Joanne Randall and John Jarnot call “a perfect triangle,” connecting businesses, consumers, and co-op members and distributors looking to earn some money through sales and networking with the local economy being the center.

“It can be anyone’s deal,” Jarnot said. “It’s a co-op … it takes members, local business, consumers, advertisers, connecting people through this mobile site.”

The idea had been a concept of Mike Barker, a developer, for a number of years and finally was prompted by friends last year to start up a company. The Checkit Local website and smartphone app offers four categories of shopping options. The businesses pay $50 to run ad listings on the site. The businesses can offer specials or not, and change the ad whenever they like. Consumers download the app for free and then utilize the specials to save money and purchase local products and services.

Currently, there are more than 40 businesses participating in the program in the capital region of Concord.

There’s also a co-op member option as part of the program. Co-op members pay a monthly fee of $60 and then receive $35 back in certificates in the mail. The members then use the certificates to purchase goods and services at the participating businesses. Better than a third of the advertisers are also co-op members, he said.

Jarnot described it as “a pledge to do business with local advertisers and others members” that were involved in the program.

“So I pay a certain dollar amount to be part of the system and then I get money back in the form of checks that I use to buy stuff that I was going to buy anyway,” Randall said.

There’s also a sales and networking aspect to the program for distributors who are compensated for bringing I more advertisers onto the app. There is no long-term contract for advertisers and

“It’s just the concept of taking what is local, purchasing your food, patronizing local businesses … taking that concept and marrying it to the technology on your smartphone that is mobile and free,” he said.

Randall said it was great opportunity to not only shop local but also use money earned from the program, as well as the discounts, to drive and keep money in the community.

“I like the fact that it’s so different than any other program out there,” she said. “I’ve looked at other apps … I love how there’s no strings attached. I can drop it at any time. It’s so flexible and portable.”

Currently, Checkit Local is active in the Albany, NY, area and the capital region. The app works in both communities and businesses in both communities honor the certificates for purchases, whether they live in New York or New Hampshire.

Randall and Jarnot said there were a number of businesses in Downtown Concord utilizing the program. They also noted that they’ve heard from a number of people who are now moving their business to companies who are participating in the program. Randall and Jarnot also hope to expand into other locations around New Hampshire, including Keene, the Lakes Region, Manchester, and Portsmouth. 

For more information, visit http://checkitlocal.com/