While you were busy making a difference in your hometown, you might have missed these thought-provoking reads.  Attraction, expansion and retention of businesses for your Main Street district is vital. It is also one of the most difficult things for a community to successfully accomplish. It takes hard work, planning and follow-through. Here is a dose of inspiration and education:

1. Retention and Attraction Strategies for a Balanced Retail Sector – National League of Cities
2. Chicago Proposes Experiment with Pop-up Urbanism – The Architects Newspaper
3. Creative Uses for Buildings in Small Towns – University of Wisconsin Extension
4. What’s in a Name? The Different Types of Shared Work Spaces – Virginia Main Street
5. Incubators: Hatching Ideas into Business – Virginia Main Street
6. Accelerators: Taking Businesses to the Next Level – Virginia Main Street