Microenterprises, businesses with five or fewer employees, are probably some of the most common business start-ups on Virginia’s Main streets. These scrappy entrepreneurs bring energy and new ideas to empty store fronts and formerly boarded up buildings. So, it’s probably a good idea to know how the organizations that assist microentrepreneurs are doing.  And that … More A Census of Microenterprise in the U.S. and Virginia

Remember flash mobs?  Those quirky get togethers where groups of strangers would do the lambada in the middle of a bank plaza or dress like Pee Wee Herman?  While those may have been fun and worthy of a few giggles, wouldn’t it be great to put that same premise to a productive use? Enter the cash mob.  … More Could cash mobs strike your downtown?

Most businesses that use social media do so passively, using top-down, one-way communication to tell their customers about things.  Often businesses don’t engage people by starting conversations or asking for ideas and input.  This lack of engagement leads to missed opportunities for increased sales and valuable customer feedback. The people over at Inc. Magazine have a great number of … More Harnessing the Potential of Social Media

People who know Virginia Main Street know that historic preservation plays an important role in the success of the program. Most VMS communities, for instance, feature downtown historic districts that are listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. Listing these districts in the state and national registers bolsters economic revitalization … More Guest Blogger: Randy Jones on DHR’s Revised Guidelines for Conducting Surveys of Historic Resources

The concept of a store specializing in olive oils, high end vinegars and out-of the-ordinary spices is just right for downtown Culpeper, a district that has earned a reputation among epicures. Fine dining and quality provisions from merchants and a popular farmers’ market has made Davis Street a destination. However, that reputation alone may not … More Downtown Culpeper offers speciality store the right location

Those who follow the VMS blog are well aware of the benefits of sustaining local investment by urging consumers to eat local foods and to shop in local stores. Amy Cortese insists that this same approach is applicable to portfolio investments. Her most recent publication, Locavesting: the Revolution in Local Investing and How to Profit … More Locavesting: “Investing in Main Street instead of Wall Street”

In a time of tight public budgets and program cuts, the most important task a publicly-funded program can do is show results.  Bring people downtown, attract private investment, increase sales and fill vacancies; i.e. increase the tax base.  These are the hard, quantifiable outcomes that a Main Street program should be working toward and that … More Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance named “Best Use of Taxpayer Money”