Here are my favorite neighbors; my wife, Nicole, who makes life so much more meaningful, my dog Trooper who gave me permission to marry Nicole a few years ago, and our latest addition, Siggy, who invented the very aggressive sport of combat cuddling.
PayYourNeighbor.com is a community of people who believe our neighborhoods are stronger when neighbors support neighbors. We believe in eating local, shopping local and being local in as many ways as we can because life is best done together. We are based in Corpus Christi, Texas, but it is our goal to support locally owned businesses around the country that employ millions and preserve our God-given rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Why We Work
We work because Google doesn’t tell you who’s local – they only tell you where things are located (most of the time).
We work because we’re not driven by ads and popups. Our bread comes from our neighbors – just like yours does – so the neighborhood is our only priority.
We work because small businesses are the backbone of the American dream and the glue that holds communities together. Our dream is to support yours by telling the world where they can eat local and shop local.
How We Work
There is a map with handy little map dots to let customers know who you are and where you are located. If your business is online only, there’s a virtual marketplace where the same rules apply – no major companies, just neighbors offering their skills to the neighborhood.
And the best part is we only work with locally owned businesses. No big names. No national chains. The only competition on our website is between you and your neighbor (and if it gets so competitive you have a cooking competition, we offer taste-testers free of charge).
Where We Came From
During the Coronavirus pandemic, when we’re all staying at home gaining 19 pounds (maybe that’s the real reason they called it COVID-19?), we watched as our community business owners’ years of sweat equity evaporated. It sucked.
Amazon sales surged to record highs while our small businesses shuttered their doors, some for good. Fast-food chains and well-known restaurants had cars lined up for pick-up, while your local Sushi place had to lay off their staff. My favorite coffee shop closed indefinitely while the businesses surrounding the coffee shop had employees working from home.
We HAD to do something – so my wife and I went through our friends list to see who we could order from. The coffee roaster that lives a couple blocks away brought us a bag that she had roasted only hours before. My wife took the dog for a walk and picked up some yarn from a friend who owns a yarn store. We bought our summer bathing suits from the surf shop before you get to the island.
But it didn’t feel like enough. We could do more – the question was how.
Then I had an idea around 10 o’clock one night (my best ideas typically come right as my wife is trying to go to sleep) – if everybody went around the corner to their neighborhood coffee shop or to visit the friend down the block selling yarn out of their homes we’d be not only OK, but stronger than ever.
We just had to pay our neighbors instead of massive corporations. I stayed up until 2 am that night working through the idea, and then spent the next couple of weeks developing payyourneighbor.com – a community where only locally owned places are featured. A community where the average American can go when they want to know where to find a local restaurant, bar, coffee shop, boutique, consulting firm, construction company, home goods shop, etc.
At the end of the day, we want you to eat local, shop local – BE local.
It’s simple. When you can, just pay your neighbor.
Sincerely,
Matt Woolbright
Founder, PayYourNeighbor.com