Entrepreneurs. Better with age?

Entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of the economy. They’re innovators, experimenters and risk takers, the driving force behind capitalism’s “perennial gale of creative destruction,” in economist Joseph Schumpeter’s evocative metaphor. So says Chris Farrell in this week’s Bloomberg Businessweek. But Mr. Farrell goes on to remind us that entrepreneurs are not only young, brash, rule breakers.  [...]

Congratulations to Solid Stone Fabrics

Congratulations to David Stone, owner and founder of Solid Stone Fabrics on being selected as a finalist in the Momentum Business category of the Association for Enterprise Opportunity’s (AEO) Power of One Awards. Stone founded Solid Stone Fabrics in 2003 and operates in his hometown of Martinsville, VA, a Virginia Main Street community who has seen [...]

A Census of Microenterprise in the U.S. and Virginia

Microenterprises, businesses with five or fewer employees, are probably some of the most common business start-ups on Virginia’s Main streets. These scrappy entrepreneurs bring energy and new ideas to empty store fronts and formerly boarded up buildings. So, it’s probably a good idea to know how the organizations that assist microentrepreneurs are doing.  And that [...]

2012 Downtown Improvement Grants Awarded

This past February, Virginia Main Street awarded seven Downtown Improvement Grants ranging from $6,000 to $25,000. The grants are intended to help local Main Street organizations implement economic restructuring strategies that will have measureable local and regional economic benefits, establish and strengthen partnerships in the community and increase the capacity and involvement of local Main Street [...]

Could cash mobs strike your downtown?

Remember flash mobs?  Those quirky get togethers where groups of strangers would do the lambada in the middle of a bank plaza or dress like Pee Wee Herman?  While those may have been fun and worthy of a few giggles, wouldn’t it be great to put that same premise to a productive use? Enter the cash mob.  [...]

Attracting, Developing and Retaining Main Street Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are generally pretty imaginative people, but some may need a creative venue and an audience to help them articulate their ideas. Staunton Creative Community Fund’s (SCCF) recent Ignite Staunton! campaign proved to be the creative outlet that entrepreneur Michael Reeps needed to make his unique business concept a reality. Last fall’s Ignite Staunton!, partly [...]

St. Paul Celebrates Main Street Designation

Residents of St. Paul, one of four newly designated Virginia Main Street communities, recently gathered to formally recognize the distinction and enlist new volunteers at a kick-off event in November. Attendees included more than 40 residents, Mayor Kyle Fletcher, Vice-Mayor Sharon Steele, Town Councilmember Monty Salyer and members of St. Paul Tomorrow, led by current [...]

Harnessing the Potential of Social Media

Most businesses that use social media do so passively, using top-down, one-way communication to tell their customers about things.  Often businesses don’t engage people by starting conversations or asking for ideas and input.  This lack of engagement leads to missed opportunities for increased sales and valuable customer feedback. The people over at Inc. Magazine have a great number of [...]

Guest Blogger: Randy Jones on DHR’s Revised Guidelines for Conducting Surveys of Historic Resources

People who know Virginia Main Street know that historic preservation plays an important role in the success of the program. Most VMS communities, for instance, feature downtown historic districts that are listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. Listing these districts in the state and national registers bolsters economic revitalization [...]

Downtown Culpeper offers speciality store the right location

The concept of a store specializing in olive oils, high end vinegars and out-of the-ordinary spices is just right for downtown Culpeper, a district that has earned a reputation among epicures. Fine dining and quality provisions from merchants and a popular farmers’ market has made Davis Street a destination. However, that reputation alone may not [...]