Virginia Main Street

In 2019, Main Street America partnered alongside American Express to launch the Future of Shopping Small Grant Program to provide 10 small businesses with $10,000 each to help them innovate in the evolving retail landscape. The program seeks to support small businesses that have demonstrated new approaches to traditional business strategies and those businesses looking … More Jon Henry General Store in New Market, VA Named Future of Shopping Small Grant Recipient!

Main Street has a crucial role to play in supporting small businesses, maintaining and improving quality of life for all, and ultimately the vitality of downtown districts – the heart of our communities. Over the past 40 years, communities across the country have demonstrated the power to preserve through good and challenging times, and that … More Main Street America: 2019 State of Main

Whether it be free meals for children, health care workers or families, the restaurant industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has showcased the importance of helping one’s community during times of tremendous need. Amid a national crisis, many restaurants and food service businesses have taken it upon themselves to support such groups, and here are … More “Creative Fooding” Initiatives across Virginia

Many directors are looking for ways to provide a constructive, inclusive and safe space for protest. Charity Furness, the executive director of Experience Old Town Warrenton, received a call on Sunday, May 31, that a protest was planned for downtown later that day. She quickly sprang into action and was able to put structures in … More When Protest Comes to Main Street

Under Forward Virginia: Phase One, small businesses have begun to safely welcome back customers, and restaurants have been allowed to offer outdoor seating at 50% capacity. Given that some restaurants don’t have outdoor seating, communities have begun to close streets and alleyways, as well as offer other creative solutions to provide outdoor dining options to … More Outdoor Dining: A Creative New Look for Communities

Initially presumed to be isolated from the worst of COVID-19, the virus has begun spreading to smaller and more rural areas. Not only do rural communities lack the critical health care infrastructure and financial resources to adequately address the crisis, but they are also disproportionately vulnerable to its economic ramifications. Rural areas have higher poverty … More Webinar – Mitigating the Economic Impacts of COVID-19 in Rural Areas

In the past few months, shopping behaviors have radically shifted amid the public health situation. Numerous industries have witnessed unprecedented loss while e-Commerce sales have risen by more than 8%. As a result of the pandemic, the need for small businesses to embrace social media and online sales has never been more important. Acknowledging such … More E-Commerce Renovation Program

Nonprofit financial management centers upon the most effective and efficient ways to deploy an organization’s resources while meeting overall objectives. Today, that practice has never been more prevalent. The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching impacts on the nonprofit sector, and the disruptive effects have certainly hindered finances and constrained capacity, forcing organizations to plan for … More Organizational Financial Planning during COVID-19