Budgets are tight. Volunteers are spread thin. And often, the MainStreet manager’s time is constrained. In the road ahead, we really need to build our capacity to perform higher levels of business development. Right now, staying focused on five priority activities will ensure that your local MainStreet program runs a lean, mean, business development machine.
1. Visit owners. The best way to keep abreast of the needs of business owners is to conduct an ongoing program of visits to them in their stores. The MainStreet manager needs to develop a good relationship with each business and so do the MainStreet program’s board and EP leaders. Team up! Visits often evolve into relaxed, peer business coaching sessions, and that’s a great way for busy folks to consider business enhancement strategies. Visits with property owners are important too.
2. Understand market dynamics. With lots of data available on our computer screens, it’s easy to pull down the latest demographics and market data. Put that information to use in fact sheets, in your business development hardcopy packet, and on your program website. Stay current with local economic trends by conducting periodic interviews and focus groups with the community’s economic development leaders — city officials, bankers, real estate professionals, and economic development organization representatives.
3. Enhance practices. Troubleshoot. Almost all aspects of the MainStreet program end up enhancing the collective and individual business practices of the district. Display windows are a mess? Hold a window display workshop and contest. New entrepreneurs are having a hard time setting up their books? Work with the Small Business Development Center to convene a QuickBooks training. Property owners are frustrated with permit processes? Help to troubleshoot their problems by serving as a liaison to government bodies.
4. Provide access. Business owners benefit from smoother access to capital, supplies, labor, markets, and ideas. Broker meetings between an owner and a couple banks to help her shop around for financing. Help to assemble her loan application. Help an owner find new sources of supplies or product lines or replacement glass for his broken transom window. Convene a customer service training seminar so an owner can have frontline employees ready to respond to her customers’ wants. Share market data and customer focus group information with an owner so he can best target new customer groups. Host business networking forums so owners and managers can share ideas.
5. Position the organization. Develop the MainStreet program’s image and reality as a business development organization. Maintain paper business development packets of market data, area information, business services, MainStreet program brochures, events calendars, available business properties listings, and business directories. Include business development features on your website. Establish an Economic Positioning Committee or Business Development Team to work with the MainStreet manager in carrying out this important work.