Purpose: To strengthen and broaden the economic base of the Main Street District.

Ongoing Projects

1. Christmas in July promotion
2. Gather businessowners to listen, learn and create connection through Rotary participation (Thursday at noon)
3. Host two business-oriented trainings (Succession planning, Employee recruitment, Employee training, Customer service, How to start a new business, marketing, social media, finding employees, creating and maintaining websites if applicable, making sales through websites if applicable, Website/eCommerce training, Get businesses to have a web presence)

Ongoing Program Activities

1. Encourage and incentivize shopping local day to day
2. Business Succession Planning
3. Business Visits
4. Collect and distribute basic market data (including available downtown properties)
5. First Dollar Presentation/ribbon cutting to new businesses
6. Maintain list of properties for sale/lease and update building and business inventory (July 2023)
7. Open 4 Business application: start discussions with businesses in January
8. Publish newspaper articles for business anniversaries
9. Recruit businesses to fill vacancies
10. Research available funding sources and share with investors/developers
11. Share district’s investment statistics with stakeholders on regular basis (city council, board, businesses, etc.)
12. Work to keep an eye on problematic or derelict properties. 

2023

1. Culinary Contract: Revamp and create new goals
2. Get businesses to have consistent hours, extended ours and coordinated hours so everyone is open at the same time.
3. Create incentives for buildings and new/expanding businesses
4. Share pros of 2nd story housing with business owners.
5. Market our needs for new businesses and vacant buildings to new businesses.