Archive for Main Street
Preserve Your Community… Brand.
Whatever the process you undertake for your community – from Web development to branding to market analysis to business recruitment to marketing in general – the planning stage should be long enough to point you in the right direction and short enough to keep the momentum going into the implementation phase.
Plans are only as good [...]
Creative Use for Empty Storefronts on Main Street
Block after block, empty storefronts can signal an economic decline–or a terrific opportunity!
I recently had the chance to participate in the execution of Target’s first pop-up shop in the Midwest. Designed by David Stark Production in NYC, the Bullseye Bazaar occupied an empty space along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. . .prime real estate! With the creative [...]
Tips to help small business owners make the most of their time away from the office. My web 2.0 lesson from the National Main Streets Conference.
Well, obviously the National Main Streets Conference 2009 is over. I am writing from the comfort of the deck swing at my family's farm in rural Mississippi. The last time I wrote, we were enjoying the free Wi-Fi of our Club Quarters accommodations. The conference hotel (where we spent long waking hours during the bulk [...]
Networking at a conference: Pre-planning is a must.
With your target objective (mission) and goals in clearly defined, it's time to start planning, researching and taking action. With our planning for the National Main Street Conference, we really only had about two weeks of firm planning time.
Here is how I broke down the planning: logistics, action items tied to goals, contacts and [...]
Making the Most of a Conference
Andy and I arrived in Chicago this morning to mix and mingle among the conference goers at the National Main Streets Conference happening now through Wednesday of next week. Notice, I didn't say that we came here to attend the conference. Because we really didn't.
Hopefully, that statement doesn't highly offend those of you reading [...]
Facebook for Organizations and Businesses… Page or Group?
We get this question a lot, so I thought I would post the question and answer here.
Question: Which Facebook option is better for my business or organization? A PAGE or a GROUP?
Answer: Facebook defines groups and pages differently, and upon reading their definition – and having intimately used both – our official position is [...]
Low Cost Web Site Tools for Small Business
A critical question came through on the National Main Street listserv today. I don't respond very often – when I do, it's a topic I feel passionately about. When the responses started rolling in to refer GoDaddy and Yahoo SiteBuilder as viable alternatives that will actually GROW a business… I am saddened that we don't [...]
Media Spin… and Retail Reality.
I went shopping this weekend.
Gasp.
Seriously, I set out Saturday about 2 p.m. for a little time alone. Me, my trusty bag, and some retail therapy. We're moving soon, so I thought I'd go in search of inspiration and possibly make a few preliminary selections for the new living room/dining room/playroom combo that will [...]
Marketing Main Street: Find a Niche. Or a new niche.
Here's the deal, fair small business owners of the world…niche businesses are the most successful right now. But what happens if someone steals your niche – or moves into your niche with you? Or turns your niche into a commodity (making it, uhm, totally no longer a niche?). Well, as usual, Jackie makes a fine [...]
Marketing Main Street: Shipping Box Marketing
http://www.psfk.com/2008/10/pic-family-business.html – photo taken at EAT Sandwich Store in Heathrow Airport near London. Everything about the label and box is customized with messages about food and eating.
Think about how often brown shipping boxes get re-used. Or left laying around the house. Or on the curb. Or moved around. And just plain LOOKED at while [...]
