Blog
Consumer Data Collection – Some information from your customers can make a huge difference in your upcoming marketing efforts.
Retailers, restaurants, service businesses and organizations often spend a great deal of time trying to climb inside the minds of their customers. Effectively understanding how your customers think and what...
Local Gift Certificate Program to Benefit Employees in Education and Healthcare.
Two Holiday recognition programs are back at Emporia Main Street- just in time for Christmas. This month, the non-profit organization re-launched the popular 2020 programs; Adopt-A-Newman Healthcare Hero and Teacher...
Businesses must generate visibility to capitalize on holiday sales.
December is here, and small businesses have a few short weeks left in the countdown to the end of 2021. This month can get super busy for many entrepreneurs, but...
A Soft Spoken Community Win: The story of one local family that brought a building back from the brink of demolition to expand a unique local business.
Emporia is the type of community that constantly faces opportunities and threats. Individuals who go above and beyond the call often make the difference in the general direction of the...
Heal Grants for Downtown Buildings – A New State Program Can Help Specific Types of Building Rehabilitations
The Historic Economic Asset Lifeline (HEAL) grant was recently announced by the Kansas Department of Commerce. This program was developed "for the revitalization of underutilized, vacant, or dilapidated downtown buildings through the...
Highlighting our local art history through the quilt block project!
The East-Central Region of Kansas has a rich and diverse history that informs our present. Emporia Main Street works with partner agencies and volunteers to enhance cultural celebrations, create athletic...
4th Quarter Focus – Crunch Time for Businesses.
The last three months of the year are commonly referred to as the 4th Quarter, and as the year nears a close businesses need to close out strong! Depending on...
Supporting the Local Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. Entrepreneurship Tax Credits Make Economic Sense with Targeted Delivery.
Emporia Main Street acts as a partner with a statewide group called Network Kansas. The Network Kansas group helps connect businesses in Lyon County with resources like training, loans, network...
A potential redesign of one of downtown’s largest parking lots requires your input!
With limited resources, the City of Emporia continues to invest in improving accessibility in the commercial corridors of the community. Public Works Director Dean Grant submitted a potential redesign of...
Experts, City Officials, Main Street Managers, and Developers from around the state talk through a type of housing that works for communities.
Communities throughout the United States are struggling with housing. Growing communities struggle to acquire land and pay for infrastructure associated with housing developments with local tax dollars. Communities with static...
A transparent discussion on activity decisions for Emporia Main Street moving forward
We are aware that several local events are either being postponed or cancelled due to COVID. Every event is different, and various groups or organizations have different risk thresholds that...
Stress Tests
When you and your staff have better coping strategies, you can avoid burnout We have all the elements of a perfect stress storm in work places right now. Businesses are...
Local Business to Offer Staffing Support
Emporia, KS – When the Pandemic hit, Misty Gardner (RN) found herself facing a professional and personal dilemma. Like others in her field, medical professionals were faced with grueling schedules and...
Preparing for Back to School Opportunities.
Summer is racing by and back to school is right around the corner, so it's not to soon to start planning for the school year. I know you are probably...
New Job Board for Gigs, Part-Time, Full-Time, and Freelancers!
Across multiple industries, organizational types, and work place sizes businesses, governmental entities, and nonprofits are struggling to fill positions. After some thoughtful consideration by the Emporia Main Street Board of...
#VaxToNormal
The Greater Emporia Area Disaster Relief Fund (GEADRF) is excited to announce the #VaxToNormal campaign. In partnership with Newman Regional Health and Lyon County Public Health, the GEADRF is working...
Emporia Main Street designated as an accredited Main Street program for 2021
Emporia Main Street has been designated as an accredited Main Street™ program for meeting rigorous performance standards. Each year, Main Street America and its partners announce the list of accredited...
Preparing for UNBOUND
We will see a huge influx of gravel riders into Emporia next week for the Unbound Cycling Event. While some travel restrictions will limit a bit of participation, we will...
What is next in the realm of Community and Economic Development?
During the National Main Street Conference, we had the opportunity to listen to a variety of different speakers and researchers tracking changes in community and economic development cultures. Understanding those...
How Can You Help-A Push For Collaboration!
We have just made it through DDO week, which is the first "major" event held in Emporia since October of 2019. We shook some rust off, greeted guests, and promoted...
What is the Cost of a Vacant Building?
"It's not hurting anything.""I can do whatever I want with whatever I own.""I inherited it, and I'm really not in a hurry to let it go.""It's got sentimental value.""For the...
EMPORIA MAIN STREET EARNS NATIONAL REVITALIZATION AWARD
CHICAGO (April 2021) – Emporia Main Street in Emporia, Kansas, is one of six winners of the Main Street Forward Awards, which recognize communities that have shown exemplary recovery and...
Business Life Cycles: Where is your business at, and what is your strategy to grow?
Businesses have different lifecycles, and the strategies to support businesses can vary by business type, owner acumen, and lifecycle tools. It is important for entrepreneurs to know what lifecycle stage...
