Blog
Insight Into the Strategies and Other Economic Development Professionals are Using to Build Better Economies and Communities.
Most people that know me well understand that I expect to gain something actionable from meetings, retreats, and/or conferences. Meeting simply to meet/network/"get on the same page"/etc. isn't something that...
A New Tool to Help Local Businesses and the “Gig” Economy.
Emporia Main Street communicates with other similar programs far outside of our region on a fairly consistent basis. Our emphasis on finding "like" communities, or areas that were once like...
Consumer Preferences – Round 3.
Emporia Main Street has obtained consumer preference information in relation to COVID response on three separate occasions. These responses can help business and organizations determine best practices as we continue...
Back to Business – Kansas Dept. of Commerce Releases Grant info for Businesses & Non Profits.
The Kansas Department of Commerce released information concerning COVID Relief Grants for businesses and nonprofits in the following categories ( you can apply for grants in multiple categories ): Small Business Working...
Back to School – What Should Businesses Expect during COVID-19?
Like everything else in 2020, Back to School is going to look a lot different. Emporia hosts K-12, along with Flint Hills Technical College and Emporia State University. From a...
Welcome Back Block Party & Moonlight Madness to Combine.
We are mixing things up a bit for two of our late summer events! Due to current circumstances we have decided to combine our Welcome Back Block Party and Summer...
The Great American Market Canceled for 2020.
Emporia, Kansas - The Great American Market has been cancelled for 2020. The Market is a joint effort between Emporia Main Street and its title sponsor, the Emporia Gazette, and features local...
New Assistance for Local Businesses
The City of Emporia, KS has been awarded $132,000 of funding through the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Community Development Block Grant COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program (CDBG-CV). The City of...
Annual Meeting Highlights
In 2021, the Emporia Main Street organization will turn 30 years old, and we've never experienced a year quite like this. Before mid-March of 2020, we saw a year full...
Consumer Pandemic Trends
The mind of the consumer during a pandemic is difficult to track. Even outside of Covid, trying to guess the wants and needs of your customers can be a full...
Some Clarity for Your Customers: Accurate information posting can reduce frustration and increase sales.
The pandemic continues to change the hours and operational standards of several small businesses in the region. Customers are wondering: Can I walk into this business? When are they open...
How Has the Pandemic Impacted Your Brand?
There are wonderful people that work very hard to understand the world around them for the benefit of others. These people aren't simply watching TV, reading commentary, or listening to...
Radical Transparency: Your customers, staff, and the general public need to hear from you in a different way RIGHT NOW
We have many positive traits in the Midwest. The people here work hard, they are punctual, people believe in teamwork, and they typically value getting things done. One of the...
Diversifying Sales Outlets. Extending Your Sales Capabilities Beyond Your Four Walls.
If there is one strategy that Covid-19 has accelerated for businesses, it is the adoption of technology to extend sales outside the traditional business physical space. Restaurants are promoting curbside...
Identifying new business pathways as the population deals with ongoing pandemic impacts
We do a lot of individual business consultations at Emporia Main Street. We prefer individual meetings for "deep dives" because we understand the unique nature of our member businesses. Recommendations...
Dirty Kanza & Great American Market to Be Held on Sept. 12th, 2020
September 12th, 2020 will be a busy day in downtown Emporia. Emporia Main Street and Dirty Kanza are excited to announce that both the Great American Market and the Dirty...
White Ribbon Campaign to Support Emergency Medical Services and Frontline Workers
White Ribbon Campaign to Support Emergency Medical Services and Frontline Workers (Emporia, KS) – Newman Regional Health and Emporia Main Street announce the community’s first ever White Ribbon Campaign scheduled...
Design a Shirt for Emporia Main Street
It is that time of year to start thinking about our next round of Emporia Shirts! We are accepting entries for design ideas. Entries need to be in a pdf...
Draw Your Main Street
Bust out your artistic skills and show some love to our Main Street Member Businesses/Organizations. How do you participate? Choose your favorite Main Street businesses and draw their picture! Drawings...
Great American Market and DK Finish Line Celebration to be held on Saturday, Sept 12th 2020
We have seen several schedule adjustments over the past several weeks. The most recent being the postponement of the 2020 Dirty Kanza event. The new race date is set for...
Small Business COVID-19 Grant Resources
GoFundMe: As part of the Small Business Relief Fund, GoFundMe, Intuit QuickBooks and Yelp have each donated $500,000.Google: Announcing a new $800+ million commitment to support small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), health organizations and governments,...
Payroll Protection Program Launches 4/3/20
PAYROLL PROTECTION PROGRAM Source: SBA - U.S. Small Business Administration The CARES Act includes $350 billion for federally guaranteed loans for small businesses, sole proprietors, self-employed individuals and independent contractors affected...
