Small Town and Merchant Program brings relevant resources to downtown merchants

April 20, 2010

Virginia Main Street continues the partnership with Virginia Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), bringing the Small Town & Merchant Program to traditional commercial districts. In the workshop, “Staying Relevant to a Changed Customer,” retail expert Marc Willson positions the consumer in the recovering economy and provides real resources and information to help merchants retain existing customers and capture new … More Small Town and Merchant Program brings relevant resources to downtown merchants

Altavista’s first historic district

April 12, 2010

Altavista arose in the late 19th century, soon after the regional Virginian Railway extended an east-west line,  intersecting with the Southern Railway, a major east coast corridor.  The Lane brothers, realizing the commercial opportunity, purchased 2,000 acres at the junction, and proceeded to build Altavista and the Lane Home Furnishings from a fledgling cedar chest … More Altavista’s first historic district

Hi ho the derry-o, the farmer has e-mail

April 7, 2010

An article in the April issue of Inc. Magazine prompted one more look at that thought-provoking Permuto Discoveries graphic.  We’ve looked at drugstores as a anchors on Main Street and at engaging downtown merchants in e-commerce.  Now we’ll look specifically at the food, wine, and beer category, with about 57 percent of sales being catalog, telephone, and online sales. (That seems high, but consider specialty – … More Hi ho the derry-o, the farmer has e-mail

Congratulations milestone award winners

April 6, 2010

Nineteen communities received Milestone Achievement Awards or other special recognition at the Virginia Main Street 25th Anniversary Dinner and Award Ceremony on March 25 in Lynchburg.  The 25 Year Club: Virginia Main Street’s Kyle Myer, Bedford Mayor Skip Tharp, Franklin Downtown Association President Victor Story, Winchester Old Town Development Board Member Dave Spence, and Virginia … More Congratulations milestone award winners

Quality v. quantity

March 30, 2010

Last Thursday, at the Virginia Main Street 25th Anniversary Milestone Achievement Awards, keynote speaker Chuck D’Aprix spoke about the importance of making your downtown attractive to entrepreneurs.  One way to do this is to focus on the quality of the experience rather than the quantity of products you sell. In short, it is difficult to compete … More Quality v. quantity

April 1 luncheon focused on supporting local businesses

March 29, 2010

The Virginia Downtown Development Association continues its popular Hot Topics Luncheon series in Martinsville on April 1, with a focus on nurturing a climate supportive of local businesses.  Eddie Bumbaugh,  executive director of Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, will present on incentives  instrumental to generating a strong business climate.  The session will address how a downtown can serve as an entrepreneurial incubator and include … More April 1 luncheon focused on supporting local businesses

VMS to Celebrate 25 Years

March 18, 2010

On March 25, the commonwealth will officially celebrate 25 years of Main Street revitalization at Lynchburg’s Craddock Terry Hotel.  The anniversary dinner will combine special acknowledgement of the quarter-century mark with the annual Milestones Award ceremony. The event will feature special guest speaker Chuck D’Aprix, president of The Downtown Entrepreneurship Project, dinner and live music. … More VMS to Celebrate 25 Years

Even stores on Main Street do it: Making e-commerce work downtown

March 15, 2010

Today we’re going to take a closer look at the crosshatched area in the Permuto Discoveries graphic. That shaded e-commerce portion of spending includes catalog, telephone, and online sales.  Sure, the biggest piece of these sales is likely handled by Amazon’s high-tech automated warehouse distribution system or by a cheery voice at Chesapeake, Virginia’s QVC call center.  But there is also a … More Even stores on Main Street do it: Making e-commerce work downtown

Anchors on Main Street

March 4, 2010

Every Main Street community is working to bring shoppers downtown, but what does that mean in the era of internet shopping?  Shoppers are buying more online–but they don’t buy all products in an equal amount.  In the next few posts, we’ll take a look at this sharp graphic from Permuto Discoveries, and offer some questions that might prompt … More Anchors on Main Street