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Earlier this spring, we invited Main Streets that participated in the 2022 Small Business Saturday® Neighborhood Champion program to apply to our annual Neighborhood Champion Innovation Contest. The entrant with the most innovative idea received $5,000, a second-place winner received $2,500, and three third-place winners received $1,000 in recognition of their Shop Small® efforts.
This year, our judging panel was looking for the most innovative ways Main Streets engaged with the next generation of shoppers in their community. From selfie booths to local influencer marketing to pop-up shops to partnerships with local schools, our judges were blown away by the level of creativity in this year’s pool of applicants.
Read on to learn more about the winning ideas:
Our grand prize winner at Sweetwater Main Street in Sweetwater, Tenn., created a city-wide game based on their brand (“The Sweetest Street in Tennessee”) called “Sweetest Street Sweepstakes” that kicked off on Small Business Saturday. To enter the drawing, participants received stamps at local businesses. To submit a game card, participants had to receive a stamp at six Main Street businesses on their game card. The winner of the drawing was awarded a grand prize of $500.
In addition, they gave out $500 in $10 increments of “Main Street Bucks” to the first 50 people to show up in the downtown district on Small Business Saturday. Funded by Sweetwater Main Street, Main Street Bucks are printed cards that function as trackable gift certificates at participating businesses, usable only on Small Business Saturday.
Sweetwater Main Street also had activities scheduled from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Small Business Saturday, starting with Breakfast with Santa, followed by pet pictures with Santa, and culminating with their annual Small Town Christmas event, which included carousel rides, vendors, and more. Over 8,500 people attended their Small Business Saturday events.
To better engage with the next generation, Sweetwater created a TikTok account to help spread the word about their programming and events. They also involved high school and college aged volunteers at events to keep them in the loop and encourage word-of-mouth marketing. They also featured vendor booths with products that appeal to the next generation of shoppers, including permanent jewelry, clothing, accessories, and more.
This year’s second place winner, Calumet Area Industrial Commission in Chicago, Ill., created a multi-tiered, long-term plan for Small Business Saturday in 2022. Their team took several steps to encourage the community to support small businesses, beginning with early promotions on social media and through flyers throughout the community. They also sent out regular newsletters to local businesses and community members. They also collaborated regularly with local business owners, reaching out on a regular basis to involve them in Small Business Saturday programming and assisting with promotions.
On Small Business Saturday, they hosted a Holiday Pop-Up event called Mistletoe, Mingle, and Shop! at a local community art gallery, which included local arts and crafts vendors, games for kids and youth, booths for local businesses -- all themed around the holiday. All participating vendors were local to the Chicago Pullman/Roseland neighborhoods, and 100% BIPOC and women owned. During the event, the venue hosted an art exhibit titled, “Excelsior!”, featuring several works featuring local artists around Chicago. They also offered a hot chocolate bar for guests to enjoy festive treats while they shopped. Topping off the event, Dreezy Claus, Chicago’s Black Santa, made a special appearance.
“Our communities of Roseland and Pullman, located on Chicago’s Southside, for decades have been systemically under-invested and under-represented,” wrote Melissa Campos, Calumet Area Industrial Commission’s Project Coordinator. “By hosting this event, we were able to showcase our local businesses to the community and help start the creation of an entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
To connect with the next generation of shoppers, they created asocial media campaign involving strategic hashtags, influencer marketing, and gamification on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitter, and Facebook. During their Mistletoe, Mingle, and Shop! Event, they also brought in arcade games in attract next generation community members. They also focused on sustainability in their events, as environmental and social issues are important to their local youth population. For example, they hosted The Hive, a bee-keeping company in Chicago that educates youth about the importance of bees in the environment’s ecosystem.
Our first third place winner, Ortonville Downtown Development Authority in Ortonville, Mich., designed their Small Business Saturday programming around creating an experiential holiday shopping experience. The campaign consisted of retail pop-ups and artisan market that used vacant storefronts and public community spaces; a “Local Gems” Sweepstakes that invited participants to submit a selfie photo at a local business they consider a local gem for the chance to win a prize; marketing toolkits for local small businesses to help them promote their specials; Downtown Dollars provided to retail businesses to be used in their stores for a drawing on Small Business Saturday; Scratch-&-Win cards for businesses to give out to Small Business Saturday shoppers.
To connect with the next generation of shoppers, Ortonville usedselfie photo frames for their Local Gem Sweepstakes, provided regular updates on their social media sites, and created volunteer opportunities for next generation audiences such as social media programming, event set-up and take-down, and distributing materials to local businesses.
Another third-place winner, MainStreet Oceanside in Oceanside, Ca., brought back its award-winning holiday shopping event series, ‘Tis the Season to Shop Local, adding several new additions to appeal to the next generation of shoppers. New in 2022, they created a partnership with Oceanside’s local community college. The college’s participation in and sponsorship of our event series contributed to the largest and most well-attended Small Business Saturday in Downtown Oceanside — and the development of the next generation of business owners and shoppers.
’Tis the Season to Shop Local invited the community to explore Oceanside's retail establishments and to shop local for the holiday season, from Small Business Saturday through Sunday, December 11, 2022. This fun and distinctly local holiday celebration included a craft beverage tasting event, a Downtown makers fair with the addition of new Millennial and Gen Z student makers, a tree lighting celebration during the weekly Sunset Market, a holiday mobile scavenger hunt, and a variety of heavily promoted in-store events held by participating local businesses.
MainStreet Oceanside also offered their Oceanside Holiday Challenge with three grand prizes: a one-night staycation at a Downtown resort, a $500 Downtown shopping spree and a one-night staycation at a historic Downtown hotel. 136 participants registered and 44 players activated and played in the Oceanside Holiday Challenge game on the GooseChase app, choosing from 82 selfie and video missions at 20 participating businesses and at ’Tis the Season to Shop Local events. Each point earned in the app equaled one drawing entry, with a minimum requirement of 5 points for entry into small prize drawings and 25 points for entry into grand prize drawings. As a further reward for supporting local businesses, all participants who earned at least 25 points that did not win a grand prize were offered a free nontransferable 2023 Sip & Shop Downtown Oceanside ticket.
And the final third-place winner, Stockbridge Main Street in Stockbridge, Ga., has grown their Small Business Saturday promotion from a one-day event to a month-long engagement, with over thirty participating businesses including restaurants, retailers, and service industry businesses. They call their event the Stockbridge Small Business BLITZ and spans the entire month of November, including continuous social media posts, videos showcasing local businesses, contests, and more.
During the BLITZ, they hosted several business and community engagement initiatives to bolster the Shop Small season. For example, through a partnership with our area’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC), they offered business classes to BLITZ participants that specifically focused on small business marketing, social media management, and finance.
To connect with the next generation of shoppers and to streamline the experience for all customers, the organizers created a newshopping passport app that allowed consumers to plan their shopping and dining excursions while also getting the opportunity to learn about what the BLITZ businesses had to offer. Next generation shoppers were especially enthusiastic about two contests during the BLITZ. The first was a drawing for a $100 American Express gift card, where shoppers had to show proof of shopping on Small Business Saturday. The other was a selfie challenge that encouraged participants to take photos at the places where they shopped and dined on the big day. These photos were posted on Stockbridge Main Street’s social media and a winner was selected.
Urban Impact Inc., harnesses strategic investments and collaborative efforts to foster a vibrant and sustainable future, from visionary adaptive reuse ventures to transformative development grants for small businesses and property owners in Birmingham, Alabama's historic 4th Avenue Black Business District.
In the last episode of season two of Main Street Business Insights, tune in as host Matt Wagner breaks down how to understand and synthesize local market data.
Sterling Main Street launched a brick and mortar retail incubator spaces. Executive Director Janna Groharing shares lessons they learned about organization, fundraising, and outreach.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Glen Ellis, owner of Sycamore Education, Dominion Catalyst Services, and Milady Coffeehouse in Fremont, Nebraska.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Jaime Courtney, President of Shoalwater Seafood, Derek King, Oyster Farm Director of Shoalwater Seafood, and Shane Thomas, Tribal Council Vice Chair of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.
Sarah Cole, owner of Abadir’s in Greensboro, Ala., was a 2023 Backing Small Businesses grantee. Abadir’s is a pop-up eatery specializing in seasonal and wholesome baked goods influenced by Egyptian traditions and flavors combined with inspiration from true Southern cuisine.
In this episode of the Main Street Business Insights podcast, Matt sits down with Casey Woods, Executive Director of Emporia Main Street in Emporia, Kansas.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Nicole Fleetwood and McKinzie Hodges, co-owners of Scratch Made Bakery in Amarillo, Texas.
Tylisya Gober, owner of Barbie Behavior Boutique in Oak Park, Mich., was a 2023 Backing Small Businesses grantee. Barbie Behavior is a women’s clothing boutique specializing in celebrity-inspired attire.
Tiffany Fixter, owner of Brewability in Englewood, Colorado, was a 2023 Backing Small Businesses grantee. Brewability is an inclusive brewery and pizzeria that employs adults with disabilities to brew craft beer.
We’re excited to announce that Main Street America will continue to offer virtual and on-demand small business training in 2024 through an evolved program, the Small Biz Digital Trainers program.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Tiffany Fixter, owner of Brewability, an inclusive craft brewery and pizzeria that employs adults with disabilities based in Englewood,
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Jennifer Jones, co-owner of Good Times Coal Fired Pizza and Pub in Big Stone Gap, Virginia.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Bobby Boone, founder and Chief Strategist of &Access. Based in New Orleans, La., &Access creates data-driven and design-centric retail real estate solutions for historically excluded entrepreneurs and under-invested neighborhoods.
New Orleans, Louisiana © Bobby Boone
Tasha Sams, Manager of Education Programs, shares highlights of phase one of the Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (E3) in Rural Main Streets Program and the biggest takeaways from the workshop experiences.
In this video, learn more about the Williams’ family story, how the business is helping to revive downtown Helena, and the impact they’re having on a national level.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Janet Hurn, co-founder of Future Ready Consulting in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Cincinnati, Ohio © Janet Hurn
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Derrick Braziel, owner of Pata Roja Taqueria and co-founder of MORTAR, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Matt Wagner, Ph.D., shares his predictions for the trends impacting small businesses in 2024.
Chief Program Officer Matt Wagner, Ph.D., shares his predictions for the trends impacting small businesses in 2024.
A podcast featuring some of the best advice we heard from entrepreneurs and community leaders across the country.
Our research team shares the results of the Fall 2023 Small Business Survey.
Learn how local entrepreneurs have leveraged the power of a Main Street community to establish, maintain, and grow their ventures.
Learn how this organization is uplifting business owners and preventing displacement.
Charlotte, NC © Pixabay
Small Business Saturday is an important opportunity to show your support for local businesses. We asked business owners across the network what your support means to them.
Laramie, WY © Laramie Main Street Alliance
Meet the latest recipients of the Backing Small Businesses Program from American Express!
Matt sits down with Jamie and Jerry Baker, co-owners and founders of Trendy Teachers, a teaching boutique and educational toy store located in downtown Rome, Georgia.
This holiday season, rally your communities around the small businesses that help make your downtown thrive.
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Matt sat down with Anette Soto Landeros, co-owner of Casa Azul Coffee and President and CEO of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Fort Worth, Texas.
Matt Wagner sat down with Danny Reynolds, president and owner of Stephenson's, an independently owned high-end fashion retailer in downtown Elkhart, Indiana.
Matt Wagner sat down with Harvey Williams, Co-Founder and CEO of Delta Dirt Distillery in Helena, Arkansas.
Learn how the Little Santo Domingo neighborhood of Miami is working with the Truist Foundation to strengthen pathways to small business ownership.
© Allapattah CDC
Get ready to support your small business owners and encourage people to shop small this November!
Matt Wagner sat down with the CEO of Keith McDonald Plumbing in Milledgeville, Ga., Lindsay Goodson McDonald.
Learn how the South Carolina Coordinator Program is uplifting small businesses across the state with their dedicated e-commerce platform.
© Main Street South Carolina
Matt Wagner sat down with The Barbershop Conversation podcast team, co-hosts Kenneth Bentley and Davion Hampton along with executive producer Emory Green Jr., in Goldsboro, Florida.
From a cat cafe to a computer repair shop and museum, check out these innovative small businesses from across the Main Street network.
© Historic Valley Junction
This three-week live, online course will prepare local leaders to more effectively work with small business owners in their districts and create an environment that is supportive of entrepreneurship.
© Notice Pictures
Main Street America has a podcast! Tune into Main Street Business Insights to hear from small business leaders across the country.
Meet the 2023 recipients for the Backing Small Businesses grant program, presented by American Express, to provide financial support to small business owners to address critical needs and make a positive impact in their local communities.
In partnership with Grow with Google, our digital coaches will work with businesses in their home states, with a focus on those that operate in small towns and rural communities.
Spencer Main Street's Main Street Micro Grants is injecting key funding into their small business ecosystem.
Spencer, IA © Spencer Main Street
Check out a deep dive into the results of our Spring 2023 Small Business Survey, plus insights to help inform the work of local leaders supporting entrepreneurs on Main Street.
Meet the communities who have been chosen to receive entrepreneurial support from Main Street America and the Kauffman Foundation.
We spoke to Debbie Ho, Executive Director at Chinatown Main Street, to learn about the history of women in Boston Chinatown.
Boston, MA © Kyle Klein
From program budgets to big achievements, here's the latest data on the Main Street Movement in 2023.
Franklin, TN © Brandon Jean
Learn how Downtown Inc and York County Economic Alliance are supporting marginalized small business owners in their community
York, PA © Sully Pinos
Meet Backing Small Businesses grantees Kim and Chris Casteel of Anew Life Prosthetics and Orthotics based in Detroit, Michigan.
Short stories about small business owners from Evart, Michigan.
Evart, MI © Storyville
Matt Wagner looks back at his small business predictions for 2022 and shares predictions for 2023.
Learn about the City of Boston’s efforts to invest in economic equity.
Learn how this West Virginia community redirected façade improvement funds to revive local commercial kitchens.
Matt Wagner wrote an article for the OECD blog on how can small business owners can combine digital tools with the power of place to find sustainable success.
Inspired by a session at the 2022 Main Street Now Conference, Main Street Ottumwa has launched the Business Builder Academy, an entrepreneurship course to help aspiring business owners start their ventures.
Ottumwa, IA © Main Street Ottumwa
Whether you are a seasoned American Express Small Business Saturday Neighborhood Champion or an entrepreneur joining this national movement for the first time, we’ve gathered a roundup of resources to support your “shop local” marketing efforts.
We spoke to three women who were awarded Inclusive Backing grants to learn more about their passions, their businesses, and their advice for other women.
Wixom, MI © Carissa Serylo
From social media scavenger hunts to downtown passports, the Main Street network has used countless innovative ways to encourage their communities to Shop Small®—and had plenty of fun doing it.
Oceanside, CA © Road West Photography
Main Street Franklin is leading the way in showing how women business owners can be a powerful force for change in their communities.
#EquityRising, Old Algiers Main Street Corporation's new job training program, seeks to combat rising cost of living by helping residents train for careers that will allow them to stay in their neighborhood.
Learn how the Small Business Census pilot project explored the demographics of the small businesses that call Main Street districts home.
Colville, WA © Colville Together
We spoke to three Black business owners who were awarded Backing Small Businesses grants from Main Street America and American Express to better understand their challenges, successes, and the kinds of support that have helped them the most.
Camden, AR © Kimberly Moore Davis
Main Street leaders and local development practitioners from around the world participated in this exciting webinar hosted by the OECD.
Learn how Silver City MainStreet is using Story Hours to connect local business owners with the community.
Silver City, NM © Silver City MainStreet
Main Street Skowhegan opened their new Skowhegan Center for Entrepreneurship, a downtown space for co-working, meeting, entrepreneurial support, trainings, and education.
Skowhegan, ME © Kristina Cannon
Main Street America is proud to support the Revitalizing Small and Local Businesses Act
Main Street America's research team shares the results of the 2022 Small Business Survey.
© JENNIFER E. WOLF
Learn about Show of Hands, an entrepreneurial program in multiple Main Street communities.
Wheeling, WV © Wheeling Heritage
Chief Program Officer Matt Wagner, Ph.D., shares his predictions for the trends affecting small businesses in 2022.
Is your Main Street ready for the biggest small business shopping day of the year?
Main Street Charles City organizes their annual 'WonderFall' event, a business decorating contest designed to have some fun with the autumnal season as well as provide a reminder of the importance of curb appeal in attracting the public’s attention.
Charles City, IA © Mark Wicks
Leverage NC, a partnership between North Carolina Main Street and the North Carolina League of Municipalities, hosted a four-part webinar series titled Better Community Planning & Economic Development led by Ed McMahon, Chair Emeritus of Main Street America and a leading national authority on land use policy and economic development.
Main Street Arkansas has brewed a new engaging way for tourists and residents alike to explore local Arkansas commercial districts: the Main Street Arkansas Coffee Trail.
Little Rock, AR © Main Street Arkansas
Matt Wagner explores how Main Streets can navigate workforce concerns in the post-pandemic economy.
We spoke with two Black entrepreneurs in UrbanMain commercial districts: L. May Creations in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago and The Four Way in south Memphis, Tennessee.
Memphis, TN © Four Way
Heart of Biddeford shares the strategies they developed to support Black-owned businesses in their community.
Biddeford, ME © Heart of Biddeford
We heard from organizations across the nation about the incredible impact their markets have had on community engagement, entrepreneur and small business support, and keeping their district vibrant.
The global pandemic gave us all a glimpse of a further dispersed future – a time when you don’t sit in a classroom at school, watch movies in a theater, or even go to the grocery store. Where do Main Streets fit in that model?
Appealing to mobility-challenged shoppers yields benefits beyond the store.
Being the only person in the know can be fun, exhilarating even. Except when you are the one person out of 600+ in a room and you know bad news is coming.
Fritz the dog has made his way into the hearts of the residents of LaBelle, Florida, and helped our Main Street Community find a way to make what we do more noticeable.
Altavista On Track, the local Main Street organization, is working to cultivate and sustain local entrepreneurs with an educational business launch competition, Pop-Up Altavista 2.0.
In Winchester, Virginia, one woman’s vision and commitment to downtown’s revitalization created an innovative community space for the Creative Class.
A business retention and expansion plan, properly implemented, not only helps keep businesses open but possibly even helps them expand.
The first rule of conducting business is “make it simple.” The easier it is to pay for merchandise, get entertainment or obtain a service, the more likely it is that people will take advantage of those options.
Main Street communities across the country are no stranger to seeking creative strategies to solve their most nagging issues – vacant buildings, marketing downtown, bolstering retail to name a few.
To understand the role that immigrant business owners play in Boston’s small business ecosystem, you need only to walk through any Boston Main Streets district.
Façade appearance is a critical aspect of the overall aesthetic appeal and unique character of downtown.
A lot of signs are necessary to make a downtown work well, but not every community knows what a good sign system looks like, or how instrumental it can be to the creation of a successful downtown.
Main Street Iowa, a program of the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Iowa Downtown Resource Center, created a one-of-a-kind three-year program to provide help for performance venues located in Main Street districts.
