. >> executive director, jamie hailey says thinking small wasn't something a lot of people talked aboutn 2007. >> there was no -- nobody advocating for them, nobody educating the community why it was important. >> while trying to get started wasn't easy. >> nobody was working together to try to get that message out. we just did a lot of knocking on people's doors and saying, hey will you meet with me. >> since then low country local first has grown to 500 members. each with a vested interest in getting residents and visitors to shop local. >> it's so grassroots that other people were telling their colleagues about it. and it just sort of snowballed. >> in order to best support local outlets, members have to meet certain criteria. >> you need to be locally owned and independent, that you have to have at least 50% of your ownership living here in the low country. you have to be headquartered here. you have to be able to make all of your own marketing, advertising decisions, et cetera. >> once accepted, the members can start telling people about it. >> look for the buy local decal in the w