Downtown Knowledge

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Business Recruitment on a Budget [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Business Recruitment can often be one of those overlooked items on Main Street. Sure, we all have the packet for prospective businesses with information about the downtown, maybe some vacant units, and more. But how many downtown organizations have an active business recruitment strategy? Making sure that we…

Ok – let’s start with the title. If you are being asked (or currently on) a downtown Board of Directors there is very little chance that you are, in fact, a dummy. You’re likely a smart, talented, and driven person who wants the best for their community, and specifically your downtown. However, if you’ve never…

When it comes to downtowns, and Main Streets in particular, the Executive Director is the person in charge. This is the way it’s supposed to work. The Executive Director is hired to run the day-to-day operations of the organization. They’re responsible (usually) for staffing, running events, balancing the budget, and making sure the organization is…

I just spent a few days in the great State of Virginia for their Main Street Conference. Now, if you are from Virginia you would quickly correct me to tell me it is the Commonwealth. First and foremost they, like nearly every Main Streeter I’ve ever met, are great people. Their hospitality was wonderful, and…

In 2009 I got a job that would change the course of my career. I was fortunate enough to be tabbed as the Executive Director for the Historic Quincy Business District in Quincy, IL. I was in my early 30s with a wife and kids and was ready to move back to my hometown to…

If you’ve seen our other recent blog about what to look for in an Executive Director, you know that I’ve spent nearly a decade on Main Street. I’ve truly loved my time working with these organizations and watching them make their communities better. In getting to work with these organizations I’m frequently asked about many…

Main Street Organizations are great at many things. Put on an event…check. Save an historic building….check. Organize a campaign to educate city council on the importance of an issue…you bet! However, when it comes to strategic planning many Main Streets don’t take the time necessary to not only create a long-range plan, but enact the…

You’ve heard the saying “It Takes a Village…”, well that certainly applies to Main Street. In downtown, no one does it alone. You’ve got staff members who direct the day to day operations of the organization, volunteers who provide the direction and manpower to carry out the mission, supporters who help keep the lights on…

The NOW18 Conference in Kansas City was another great opportunity for us to see Maestro Communities, welcome several new Maestro users, and continue learning new tactics for downtown revitalization. We’ve been attending the NOW Conference since it was the National Main Streets Conference, and there are always positive things to take away from the experience.…

If you’re in downtown revitalization you know that we collect a lot of data. We’ve got lists that would make Santa Claus jealous. Lists of properties, businesses, contacts, sponsors, attendees, and on and on. We’re preservationist by nature, we don’t get rid of things – especially good data! So we’ve got data. When we begin…