One of Virginia Main Street’s most prized relationships is the one we have with Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC). We often plan our strategies to complement theirs and they often ask us what’s going on downtown that they can use to better market Virginia. They believe in Virginia’s historic commercial districts as tourist attractions to the … More Virginia Tourism is way ahead of the pack…again.
With commercial real estate continuing to reel from the economic downturn, some major brands are looking at temporary leases in heavy volume areas. Empty storefronts are not good for anyone, and leases in desireable areas have become much more flexible. These “pop-up” stores are potential strategies for fledging businesses trying out a concept, artists promoting their work, … More Pop-up shops a temporary solution to the empty storefront
It turns out you do. At least if you are trying to gain traction and trust in the online world. It may seem purely intuitive that bad press or reviews are not good for sales, but this short article from Fortune magazine says otherwise. This article is geared toward online sales, but the idea can … More Who needs all that negativity?
We have been promoting the idea that recessions and layoffs, while very difficult to navigate, provide the impetus for an entrepreneurial boom. Now, the Kauffman Foundation has issued its report supporting our claims. In economic gardening terms, this is the equivilant of burning last years crops to make way for the new “green shoots.” … More Entrepreneurial stories
Is Abingdon on the brink of a new renaissance? That was the title question of a front page Bristol Herald Courier story this week connecting new businesses in the Washington County town to a strategic investment in Southwest Virginia’s cultural heritage. This little town might be the next Asheville, at least according to the buzz downtown,” opens staff … More Growing a success narrative
The Sunday, April 5 edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch had several articles of note about Virginia Main Street communities. First was an article about Abingdon’s latest downtown promotion, then an article about Page County’s (including Luray) attempt to be designated as the “Cabin Capital of Virginia.” Then yet another article, this one talking about the … More Virginia’s Main Street in the news
You’ve spent years building your professional reputation and protecting your organization’s good name, but in today’s interconnected, information-rich world it’s easier than ever for the actions of others to damage the goodwill you’ve established. Networking is a basic responsibility of business owners and organizations serving them. We network to keep abreast of best practices, to … More Trading Faces: Building and caring for your online reputation
Once you have designed and launched your Web site, your next task is to get it noticed. One of the top ways to do this is to make sure you show up in relevant Web searches. If you are selling your charming and thriving business district, you will want to be sure that your Web … More Get noticed
This article in Entrepreneur magazine could help some of your downtown businesses use their limited advertising dollars more effectively. Then again, it could help your promotional efforts as well. While Entrepreneur’s Kim Gordon gives a four-point recession advertising checklist to make sure your ad budget does the most good, her advice should adapt well to … More Recession advertising
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