Residents of St. Paul, one of four newly designated Virginia Main Street communities, recently gathered to formally recognize the distinction and enlist new volunteers at a kick-off event in November. Attendees included more than 40 residents, Mayor Kyle Fletcher, Vice-Mayor Sharon Steele, Town Councilmember Monty Salyer and members of St. Paul Tomorrow, led by current … More St. Paul Celebrates Main Street Designation
As you may have noticed while walking along Main Street, January is typically a slow season for many retailers as consumers try to pay off bills accumulated during the holidays. Hopefully, Main Street retailers have planned for and are prepared to weather this annual slow season. MyBusiness.com offers several tips to help retailers make the most … More Helping Main Street Merchants Weather the Winter Doldrums
24 of the 25 designated Virginia Main Street communities have active farmers markets. In addition to being great places to buy locally-grown produce, eggs and meat, farmers markets also serve as small business incubators. As pointed out in Ashley Fletcher Frampton’s article, Entrepreneurs Get Start at Area Farmers Markets, the low start-up costs and captive audiences at … More From Farmers Market to European Bakery
Governor McDonnell recently announced that the Virginia Tourism Commission (VTC) will award $635,000 in matching grants to 35 local tourism initiatives. The grants, which require a 3-to-1 match, will help local and regional entities attract visitors by leveraging local tourism marketing dollars. Several designated Virginia Main Street (VMS) communities and their partners will receive grant funds. … More Tourism Marketing Grants Announced
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
Waynesboro City Council unanimously approved a resolution to support city staff in gaining recognition as an official Appalachian Trail Community on October 25, 2011. This designation would officially recognize the ongoing partnership between the city of Waynesboro and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and provide the city with promotional and economic development support. Benefits of this … More Waynesboro Applying to Become Designated Appalachian Trail Community
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”
On October 13, 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $9.2 million investment in the promotion of local farmers markets through the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP). As the FMPP website states, “These grants are targeted to help improve and expand domestic farmers’ markets, roadside stands, community-supported agricultural programs, agri-tourism activities and other direct … More Partner in Promotion: The USDA Farmer’s Market Promotion Program
Virginia Main Street 