Blog
Unbound Gravel – Expo and Finish Line Festival Details.
You might have noticed some extra lycra in town with new cyclists getting their legs ready for the Unbound Gravel events. There are a variety of things you need to...
Thinking Ahead: How futurism can help you build a better business or organization.
I'm kind of a nerd. I admit it. Growing up I watched and read a healthy diet of science fiction that fed my personality. As a Gen X'er, the science...
Emporia Main Street Names as an 2023 Accredited Program!
EMPORIA MAIN STREET RECEIVES 2023 MAIN STREET AMERICA ACCREDITATION Emporia, Kansas (May 2, 2023) – Emporia Main Street has been designated as an Accredited Main Street America™ program for meeting rigorous...
Identifying the top threats to rural small businesses, and what Main Street is doing to mitigate issues.
In businesses and organizational speak; many leaders use a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). For those with the mind of an entrepreneur, they understand that a "threat" and an...
How Can Your Business Thrive with Upcoming Events?
Over the past several years, people have wondered aloud about the same strange behavioral issue. They say, "Casey, I don't understand why people park the equivalent of two blocks away...
One perception changing conference session that people need to understand
I'm more of an evidence based thinker. I am willing to change my mind or stance on an issue if there is data to back up a shift, so it's...
Emporia Gets a Bit More Magical!
Emporia Main Street along with several local businesses have become the new homes for a collection of Fairy Doors. The community is invited to come downtown starting this week and...
Targeted ads, in conjunction with traditional advertising, can lead to more spring traffic!
If you owned a restaurant, wouldn't it be nice to have a mechanism to instantly reach out to people that were hungry? If you owned a retail shop that stocked...
Changes in Property Use- New data highlights a changing landscape in commercial property.
The ability to track form and function of property in relation to traffic gives us better tools to guide development. Property usage evolves over time. Buildings function differently than they...
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and your communication strategy is key!
Last year we were still dealing with some COVID related impacts during the Valentine's planning season. This is really the first Valentine's in a couple of years where we can...
Show of Hands Year 2 – A successful entrepreneurial pitch activity is back!
Three years ago, Emporia Main Street had an opportunity to participate in a study by the Brookings Institute. The study focused on the practices of three Main Street programs in...
Fab Lab Update
The Fabrication Lab at Emporia Main Street came online in April of last year, and it has been a wild ride taking the concept to fruition. In the past eight...
2022 Year in Review
Year end reviews are important. We take time to converse with staff, volunteers, and advocates to cover activities on a monthly basis, look at metrics, and determine if we met...
Last Minute Holiday Push
As we get closer to Christmas it is important for businesses to remember that there are A LOT of last minute Holiday Shoppers out there! Having a plan in place...
Business Strategy Recalibration
We are in the heart of the holiday rush, and I know you don't need another thing to do, but what if I told you some simple notes during this...
Downtown Emporia Looking Merry and Bright
Local Organization, Foundation and City Government Collaborate on Holiday Décor Refurbishment project. Emporia, KS – As another Holiday season fast approaches, Emporia Main Street, The City of Emporia, and the...
The Holidays are HERE!
Your guide to some of the holiday events in Emporia! Thanksgiving week snuck up on a lot of us, and after Thanksgiving we hit a stretch run of fun activities...
Customer Service: It’s Kinda A BIG Deal!
Some reminders as we approach peak holiday shopping season. The defining characteristic for small businesses is often service. I know that may seem unfair as large retail operations force self...
Are You Maximizing Your Space?
An internal space inventory can help your business save on some static costs and drive more income streams! Successful businesses today are focused on the numbers. Costs of materials and shipping...
National Emerging Business Trends
Growing opportunities for entrepreneurs. he National Main Street Center collects data from a variety of sources to highlight growth opportunities for Main Street businesses. National Program Officer, Matt Wagner, provided some...
Different Traffic, Different Trends
Measuring modes of transport for consumer behavior can enhance business outreach! Traffic counts are drivers that set a majority of development decisions for many lifestyle businesses over the 1980s and...
Rural Rise Rewind – Lessons learned and connections made during the summit.
Last week we had national leaders in the realm of "entrepreneurial ecosystem" building that attended the third Rural Rise Summit. The first summit took place in a very small community (700...
Navigating the Metaverse
Over the past two decades Facebook has risen to the top of its game acquiring sister applications like Instagram and WhatsApp and connecting with over 3.5 billion people globally -...
