Emporia Main Street
E-Newsletter
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Greetings!
We are getting ready for our first every "How its made" tour this Thursday (RSVP TODAY if you are interested in attending), and fourth quarter is right around the corner! Lots of exciting things are happening at Main Street to benefit you. Keep reading for more information. |
| How it's Made Tour
Due to the popularity of "The Upper Story Tour", Emporia Main Street has come up with another exciting community event. On Thursday September 25th at 6:30 the first" "How It's Made " tour will commence.This will be a series of tours throughout the community demonstrating how local products and services are produced right here in Emporia . It is a great way to spend a Thursday evening ,strolling our streets, meeting with the local businesses and seeing first hand "How It's Made " right here in Emporia. The first tour will showcase Complete Works, The Sweet Granada and Uncommon Threads. Each site will demonstrate what they make, have some hands on activity and send you home with a special gift. Please reserve your spot early by calling the Emporia Main Street office at 340-6430 or e-mailing us at [email protected]
Please reserve your spot no later than 5:00 p.m. on September 23rd.
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Big Brothers Big Sisters
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Learn more about local amenities, organizations, businesses, events and more with the E-Town Mobile App! The ETown App is a joint project among Emporia State University, Flint Hills Technical College, USD 253, The Emporia Gazette, the City of Emporia, the Emporia Convention and Visitors Bureau and Emporia Main Street.
For IPhone Users, click here:
For Android Users, click here:
For the iPad Version, click here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/e-town-app-emporia-kansas/id712001984?mt=8
For the Web Version, click here:
www.etownapp.com
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Backyard Composting Workshop
Composting utilizes natural processes of decomposition to turn organic "waste" materials such as lawn clippings, leaves, and food scraps into a nutrient rich soil amendment. This class will cover the basics of composting such as choosing the right bin, building and maintaining a compost pile, and ways to utilize compost in your own garden to improve the overall health of your soil. Compost's role in the overall waste management program of the community will also be discussed. All students will leave with a countertop compost pale donated by BioBag.
Instructor: Eric Nelson
Cost: $5
Saturday, October 4th, 10:00am-12:00pm
MS Word 2010 Fundamentals
Designed to give proficiency in creating, opening, formatting, saving, and printing a document. Explore how to edit documents and automate tasks. Format text, characters, and paragraphs. Create tables, control page layout and use proofing tools. Prerequisite: Knowledge of Windows, keyboard and mouse.
Cost: $89
Instructor: Don Eusey
Tuesday/Thursday, Oct. 7 & 9, 6:00-9:00pm
Lead Renovators Certification - Initial
This course includes both EPA-approved lead safety training and KDHE certification. Any contractor performing qualifying work must employ at least one Certified Renovator who has successfully completed this training, in addition to being registered as a renovation firm with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Provided by an approved KDHE training provider, this will satisfy the new requirement for individuals to attain KDHE lead certification in Lead Paint Safety for Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP). Attendees who pass the certification exam will be certified as renovators to perform lead-safe work.
Cost: $150
Instructor: Rex Smith
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 8:00am-5:00pm
Word Press for Beginners - Sponsored by IM Design Group
WordPress is a powerful tool that can be used for everything from writing and sharing blogs to creating state-of-the-art websites and much, much more. This class will give you the tools to build your own blog or website, using the popular (and free!) WordPress platform. In this class, you'll learn how to design your own blog/website, how to pick a domain name, what WordPress plugins and widgets are, and how to use them. By the end of the class, you can have your own brand-new, modern website up and running.
Note: Students may bring their own laptops to work along, or simply watch the presentation and take notes.
Cost: $45
Instructor: Brandon Stiner
Tuesday/Thursday, Oct. 14-16, 6:00-9:00pm
To enroll in any of these classes please visit http://flinthills.augusoft.net or call Amy at 620-341-1392. |
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ESU Homecoming Shop Hop
October 18th is ESU Homecoming, and this event represents an opportunity to bring ESU alumni and guests into your business. We have tested the "shop hop" concept on three separate occasions, and we are now ready to step up to a potentially larger crowd. For this Shop Hop version, we are looking for businesses open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 18th. If your Main Street Member business would like to participate, please forward the specials that you will run no later than Thursday, October 9th. We will include those specials on a Shop Hop lanyard map that encourages individuals to shop or dine at participating locations. As individuals finish their "hop" they can drop off their lanyard and passport map to the Granada Theatre for the chance to win prizes in a drawing at a Granada event held that evening.
So far, participating businesses include:
2nd Love, Town Crier, The Sweet Granada, Studio 504, Rockin Accessories, Little Red Rooster, Mulready's and Complete Works. If your business would like to participate, contact Emporia Main Street with your special no later than October 9th.
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Halloween- Trick or Treat and Haunted Tours
Trick or Treat will take place downtown on Saturday, October 25th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. So far, businesses that have signed up to participate are: Town Crier, Studio 504, Sweet Granada, Rockin Accessories, the Little Red Rooster, High Gear, AKA The Sports Fan, Studio 11, Complete Works, Java Cat, Junque Drawer Emporium, Bath Expressions, Jimmy Johns, Dynamic Discs, L & L Pets, Browns Shoe Fit and Lyon County State Bank. If you want to participate, we need to know by October 21st.
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Public Improvement Auction
Proceeds from the Public Improvement Auction this year will go towards banner replacement and some other very needed aesthetic upgrades downtown. The Public Improvement Auction is Thursday, October 30th at the Granada Theatre. Silent auction begins at 5:30 p.m. and the live auction begins at 7:00 p.m. Auction donations and participation are appreciated!
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Emporia Arts Center Pottery Classes
For more information about the Emporia Arts Center, upcoming classes and events, please CLICK HERE.
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Freedom Fest
Freedom Fest, a fundraiser for the local All Veteran's Memorial, is Sunday, November 9th at the All Veteran's Memorial and Soden's Grove. A new addition to this year's activities is the new "tanker tough" obstacle course challenge which will raise funds for the families of reserve duty military personnel. For registration information, please CLICK HERE.
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Property Availability Guide
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For property owners with property available for rent or sale, this is a free service to collect information and post it on the Emporia Main Street Web Site. With other market information available, we hope this site makes it easier for potential businesses and property developers to find spaces they need.
CLICK HERE to enter information about your available property and view previously submitted information.
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Business Investment Guide
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Do you know a business that should locate in Emporia? Maybe you know an entrepreneur looking for resources or a business owner looking to expand? The Business Investment Guide is community information designed to help you point your contacts in the right direction!
CLICK HERE for the INVESTMENT GUIDE
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Is Your Store Visually Appealing?
Helpful hints to get your store ready before the 4th Quarter!- by Lauren Woolard
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The Holidays are right around the corner (only 92 days until Christmas, can you believe it?). Is your store ready for 4th quarter? There are some very simple steps you can take to have a clean, visually pleasing store that customers enjoy shopping in! Some of these may seem like common sense, but it's good to have a reminder of the basics.
Keep your Store Tidy
Nothing turns off a customer like a cluttered or dirty store. Keep your store clean and your merchandise organized. Merchandise should not be on the floor or ground level. If customers have to bend over to pick it up, it is too low.
Deep clean once a month. Take a Sunday afternoon or evening with the store is closed and dust baseboards, clean fixtures, etc. You'd be surprised how much can accumulate!
Your store should always look full, but not cluttered. If you are low on inventory and are waiting on a new shipment, shuffle some things around so that racks or shelves aren't empty
Keep clothing racks Neat and Organized
A cluttered rack can be overwhelming. Take the time to size your racks (smalls in front, mediums in middle, etc) and make sure they aren't too full. If you have cascading racks, keep no more than 2 hangers per hook, and keep the same number of hangers on each hook.
Multiple types of hangers on a rack can make it look junky. Stick to one type of hanger for a cleaner look. While wooden hangers are nice, they can also be expensive. Plastic hangers are fine, as long as they are the same color. Wire hangers tend to look cheaper, so steer clear of those.
*Crafty Hint- A fun way to perk up your hanger situation is to wrap them with fabric. Its very easy and livens up a display! CLICK HERE for a tutorial.
Change it up! Change your displays often. Move merchandise around. Putting it in a new location can give it new life. While you should always put your newest merchandise on display, find ways to incorporate older inventory as well. For example, pair an older necklace with a new top.
Place complementary products together. If you sell DVD players, DVDs should be close by. Selling shoes? Socks should be next to them, etc. Pairing these items together can help increase the total sale. Put a Price Tag on Everything Price is a large factor in deciding whether to buy an item. Customers like to make those decisions without having to go up to the counter and find out how much an item costs. Make sure every item is priced and clearly marked. You may not always be available to answer questions and could miss out on a sale.
Show how to use the Products in Real Life Mannequins are a great way to show off your merchandise. They can show a customer how to style an outfit and what it will look like with other items in the store.
If a customer comes in and says "I love your shirt! Where did you get it?" I hope your answer is "here!". Try as much as possible to have your staff wear your items, but also use them. Your staff is your best selling tool. If they know how the product works, fits, etc they can answer questions and help encourage a sale.
Stage your items. Customers want to be able to envision where a piece will go in their home. When trying to sell large items or furniture, give them an example of how they could pair it and how to stage the room. Start now to get these small things under control before the stress of the holiday season hits. It is easier to maintain during busy times rather than to start from scratch. Remember, Pinterest is your friend! If you are feeling like you don't know where to begin, or just need a little bit of inspiration, Pinterest is your answer. You can find many different merchandising ideas as well as lots of fun DIY ideas to spruce up your store there.
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Did you know???
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Last week, we attended a traffic and safety meeting, met with a local tax credit specialist to talk about Historic Tax Credits, attended a Traffic Safety Meeting to talk
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Veteran's Banners are in! We are in the process of sorting and attaching narratives now.
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about changes in parking enforcement, attended a CVB meeting, met with some local businesses to acclimate them to their first 4th Quarter, hosted a board meeting, held an on-site code team meeting for a potential business expansion, held Quarter Mania, met with ESU officials concerning the design of a new type of entrepreneurial funding and received several RSVP's for the "How it's Made" tour and stories for the Veteran's Banner project. We are getting geared up for the 4th Quarter, and that means some
good questions from all of you
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1. "How did quarter mania go?"- From a volunteer. Quarter Mania remains a fun and effective tool to introduce the public to local store fronts and home based businesses. The individual contacts made and positive exposure produced secures businesses in the minds of the consuming public. New businesses, home based businesses and long standing businesses have benefited from their participation in Quarter Mania in the past, and the Emporia Main Street variation of the Quarter Mania concept actually pays member businesses for their participation (an event that actually pays YOU; that's pretty cool...) December quarter manias are definitely our most popular, and our next Quarter Mania is scheduled for December 9th. Let us know if you would like to participate.
2. "How long have you known about SEARS?" From an Emporian. For a long time... But, I can't say anything about a business opening or a business move until given permission by that business. I'm here to help... The move will allow the usage of a historic building, but SEARS also gains several advantages. Some consumers indicated they had a hard time finding the current location, and the new spot at 511 Commercial will allow for greater visibility. The rent rate is significantly lower, which will allow the locally owned SEARS franchise to dedicate funds towards additional marketing and customer service efforts. Local ownership was excited to move to an area that exposed them to different types of traffic, and downtown's redevelopment efforts continue to draw drivers, walkers and bikers that can provide both shopping and that all important word-of-mouth advertising. We were happy to assist the property owners and the retail owners in this process, and we look forward to continuing assistance in the future.
3. "What is the How it's Made Tour going to be like?" From a media member. As an individual that grew up on a farm/ranch operation, it always concerned me when people thought their milk or meat came "from the store". When you find out how something is made, and you see the effort behind local products, you gain an appreciation for quality and effort. The How it's Made tour grew out of an idea proposed by the Promotions Committee that interacted with similar concepts from the Business Enhancement Committee and tour successes from the Design Committee. Our volunteers understand that when people interact with somethings production, consumers appreciate the value and locally made/owned portions of the consumables. The tour itself will consist of introductions to three local businesses that make their own products, and you will have the opportunity to watch (or interact with) products being produced. This is the first tour of this type conducted through Emporia Main Street, so we will need your feedback to improve future tours. But, we have a lot of businesses in town that make really cool items, and it's time to find some creative ways to get the word out to the general public.
4. "Can you help my town?" From six different communities last week. As many of you know, I serve as the President of Kansas Main Street, Incorporated in addition to my duties as Executive Director of Emporia Main Street. After the Kansas Preservation Conference I had a number of Kansas communities reach out asking for help. Some needed help with a specific project, some needed advice on a singular pressing issue in their community and the majority simply needed "help". Since the cancellation of the Kansas Main Street program as a function of the Kansas Department of Commerce two years ago, I have personally talked to approximately sixty Kansas communities seeking "help". Community development that focuses on a sustainable economic structure through the revitalization of existing areas, promotions that bring pride and traffic to a community, design elements that make a community more attractive and appeal to consumers and business enhancement efforts that create new resources and data for existing and potential businesses is difficult. It takes consistent boots on the ground and a large volunteer base that understand (and can implement) multiple disciplines. In this election season, you will hear a lot about how people support "this or that". I would ask you to take every opportunity to talk to candidates at all levels about how they plan on providing real, tangible support to "this or that". Talk is cheap, but doing something often isn't; especially when doing something requires tangible results that go beyond speaking or writing some flowery words.
5. "What's up with some of the alleys downtown?" From a local citizen. Some of our alleyways behind local businesses are immaculate, but some are not... Remember that it is very important for building or business owners to clean their alleyways immediately adjacent to their buildings on a consistent basis. Aesthetically, alleys that are exposed to parking can send a bad message to consumers if they are in a state of disarray. But, the big danger to an unkempt alley is much more costly than just being unattractive. Trees have a tendency to grow at the point where an alley meets the building. As trees grow, they act like a hydraulic jack and can damage foundations, cause leaky basements and create voids where water can expand and contract (during freezing and thawing) that can end up costing business owners A LOT of cash over time. Take a few minutes and clean up your back alleys just like they were any other part of your building. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
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President's Circle
Emporia Realty Group
www.emporiarealtygroup.com
608 Commercial
620-412-9850
IM Design Group
www.imdesigngroup.com
17 W. 5th
620-343-3909
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541 Sherman
www.kiss103.1.net
620-343-6144
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Emporia Main Street Calendar of Events
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September 24
Business Enhancement Meeting
8:00 a.m.in the Emporia Main Street office.
September 25
How It's Made Tour
6:30 p.m.
October 18
Oktoberfest
October 25
Eek Town Trick or Treat and Haunted Tours
October 30
Public Improvement Auction
November 9
Freedom Fest
November 29
Small Business Saturday
Do you have an upcoming event for your business or organization?
Let Emporia Main Street know and we may include it on our upcoming calendars!
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General Level Members
AKA Marketing
Amish Woodworks
Applebees
Ash LLC
Atherton & Huth
Bank of America
Bath Expressions
Ben Moore Studio
Bennett Dental Group
BG Consultants
BLI Rentals
Bluestem Farm and Ranch
Brown's Shoe Fit
Bruff's Bar and Grill
C & J Woodworks
Candlewood Suites
Capitol Federal
Cassell Insurance
Chester Press
Clark Carpet and Tile, Inc.
Coffelt Sign Co.
Complete Works
Country Mart/Price Chopper
Dan's Hands Massage
Davis Paints
Disciple Shoppe
Dorsey Eye Care
Douglas Chiropractic
Dr. Kerri Thompson, DDS
Dynamic Discs
Eastwood Lake Apartments
Ek Real Estate
Emporia Construction and Remodeling
Emporia Radio Stations: KVOE, 104.9 & 101.7
Emporia State Federal Credit Union
E-Town Solutions
ESU Memorial Union
Evergreen Design-Build
Flint Hills Eye Care
Flint Hills Mall
Association
Flint Hills Music
Floyd's Automotive
Forget Me Not Productions
Four Seasons Apartments
George Groh and Sons
Gerald Schumann Electric
Granada Coffee Company
Graves Drug Store
Haag Management
Hair Krafters
Heart Center Studio
Helbert & Allemang
High Gear
Java Cat Coffeehouse
Jimmy Johns
Junque Drawer Emporium
Kansas Radio 96.1 The Wave
King Liquor
L & L Pets
Lyon County State Bank
Lyon County Title
Mark II Lumber
McDonalds
McKinzie Pest Control
Midas Touch Tans
Mike Alpers Agency
Mr. Sisters Sweets
Modern Air Conditioning, Inc.
Mulready's Pub
Navrats Office Supply
Papa John's Pizza
Pizza Hut
Pizza Ranch
Plum Bazaar
Poehler Mercantile
Pool and Associates
Prairie Sage Apartments
Pro-Cuts
Rand Simmons Law Office
Redline Trucking
Reflxns Salon
Rhinestone Cowgirl Salon
Sauder Custom Fabrication
Schellers Lawn and Landscape
Scott's Lawn and Landscaping
Second Love Gifts
Stanley Jewelry
Studio 11
Subway
Sunflower Gymnastics
Sutherlands Lumber Co.
Sweet Granada
Textbook Corner
Thompson Auto Repair
Toso Appraisal
Total Technology
Town Crier Bookstore
Triad Leasing
Uncommon Threads
Value-Net LLC
Waters True Value Hardware
Westar Energy
Williams Automotive
Wright CPA Group PA
Wright's Furniture
Xan-A-Do Salon
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Non Profit Level Members
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Cradle to Career Cneter
Emporia Eastside Community Group
EHS- FBLA
Emporia Arts Council
Emporia Chamber of Commerce
Emporia Farmers Market
Emporia Friends of the Zoo
Emporia Presbyterian Church
Emporia Friends of the Library
ESU- Alumni Association
ESU- Small Business Development Center
ESU- Memorial Union
ESU- Theatre Dept.
Flint Hills Community Health Center
Granada Theatre Alliance
National Teachers Hall of Fame
Saint Francis Community Services
Salvation Army
SOS
TFI Family Services
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Home Based Business Members
Avon- Amanda Hopkins
Gold Canyon Candles- Stephanie Morgan
Green Door Recycling
Interdependent Web, LLC
Longaberger Independent Consultant -Judy Dieker
Mary Kay- Lori Engle
Nicole Bradshaw Designs
Origami Owl- Angela Dowell
Paula's Creations
Pampered Chef- Chelsea Gerleman
Purse Lady- Nancy Crawford
Scentsy/ Grace Adele- Kelly Long
Tastefully Simple- Vanessa Apodaca
Thirty One Gifts- Linsey Hopkins
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Individual Supporters
Amy and Rick Becker
Amy Evans
Brad Harzman
Dale & Carolyn Davis
Don Hill
Erin and Casey Woods
Joyce Zhou
Julie Johnson
Kayle Oney
Kelly Wade
Lynn Knechtel
Mark and Amy McAnarney
Michael and Karen Shonrock
Valerie and Matt Zimmerman
Roger Heineken
Smitty Smith
Sue Blechl
Tim & Mary Helmer
Tyler & Melanie Curtis
Yvonne Pool
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