Downtown Knowledge

We’re all done with the terms, “new normal”, “pandemic”, “unprecedented” and about 724 others that have dominated our vocabulary over the past year and a half. Last year, we watched as very quickly everyone went from having events to being locked away from one another. Not surprising, this was very challenging for the organizations that…

Recently I saw a discussion thread on “The Point”, the National Main Street Center’s discussion board. This particular post was about a downtown chart of accounts and reading some of the comments took me right back to my first few weeks as an Executive Director. When I first got the position, there had been quite…

There’s no denying that events are a large component of downtown life. Whether your organization is dependent on events for fundraising, or you are holding them to increase attendance and build atmosphere, events are a critical aspect of nearly every downtown. While these events are frequently essential for the health of an organization and the…

I think we would all agree that a website is not an option for any organization, it’s a requirement. Your website can be one of the most effective communication tools that you have. Since we deal with technology, we get asked about websites a lot. Most of those questions revolve around what should be included…

For over a decade now, I’ve had the good fortune to be a part of the Main Street movement. When I started I was told by our State Coordinator that I needed to fill out our monthly reporting, so I did. I didn’t think much about it at the time, I just did it. As…

I have been fortunate to be associated with Main Street for over a decade now. Along the way I have discovered that many of us face similar situations. That similarity got me thinking. Are these really situations, or does this similarity lead to group-think about a problem? Is there a problem, or do we say…

This is a unique time. Main Streeters are faced with some new challenges as the world faces the COVID-19 Pandemic. It seems as though the landscape is changing almost daily, and while we know there is light at the end of the tunnel, we don’t yet know when we will reach it. Having some time…

I was at a conference recently and got to thinking about how to get the most out of the conference. I had presented early on, so I had time to watch the attendees and really think about how to maximize your time. Like everything, there is a right way and a wrong way to do…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Alabama LAB Recap [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Main Street Alabama LAB in Decatur, Alabama. This is their annual state-wide Main Street conference, and was a great opportunity to see some familiar friends and faces, and meet some great Main Streeters. I’ve been to several conferences and I always…

Whether you are in a large district or a small one, having enough funds to do everything you want always seems to be a challenge. Very few districts are left wondering what to do with all their excess funds at the end of the year. Most of us are stretching those dollars as far as…