Emporia Main Street
E-Newsletter
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Greetings!
This week we recap a very busy week of activities and highlight some awesome things happening in October! Plus, we have an article on an easy (and easily overlooked) way to increase sales and answer your community questions. Happy fourth quarter everyone!!! |
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William Allen White Legacy Day
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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, Complete Works, Plum Bazaar, Junque Drawer Emporium, and The Disciple Shop. 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, Triad Leasing, Studio 504, Granada Coffee Company, High Gear Cyclery, Plum Bazaar. If you want to participate, we need to know by October 21st.
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The Wave Halloween Ad package giveaway!
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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 "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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The "Bring Back" Statement
How the failure to do one "little thing" can cost your business big
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Most of our business advice columns are specific to a certain industry or category type. Businesses have become more "niche" over the past decade, and those individual nuances mean we have to accommodate different business types by imparting targeted information. However, there are some universal truths in business. One universal truth is: everyone is selling something. It doesn't matter if you are for profit or non-profit; everyone is trying to create an action, solicit resources or sell a good/service to someone. The sales process is nuanced with modern technology and exotic business types, but the sales process still contains three basic parts: preparing the target market for the sale, closing the sale and reinforcing the action. In layman's terms, we say people must "sell them what you are going to sell them", "sell them", and then "sell them what you sold them".
That third part of the sale, "sell them what you sold them", is the portion of the process that most businesses have trouble with. From service businesses, to restaurants, retailers and non-profits, reinforcing the sale to create a more consistent consumer environment gets overlooked. And no, a "thanks; come back and see us" doesn't suffice.
As we enter the forth quarter, service businesses get busy with end-of-year activities, retailers plan for holiday shoppers, restaurants pick up clientele from busy patrons and non-profits seek those ever important end-of-year "gifts". But, by taking a few extra moments to focus on the third portion of the sales process, you can enhance your end of year, and establish a culture that can succeed well beyond the next few months. Here are some things to consider:
1. Concentrate on "if, then" portion of potential future sales.- During the sales process, people are generally pretty good at identifying add on sales. If you form a new business with an attorney, you might want to update your will. If you review your investment accounts as a young family, you might want to talk about setting up college funds for your children. If you buy a candle, you might want to buy a candle warmer. If you buy a nice dinner, you may want an after dinner drink or dessert. However, most businesses don't apply this concept during the reinforcement stage of the sale. By anticipating future needs based on current purchases and then highlighting ways that you can fulfill those needs, you are more likely to encourage future interactions. So, if someone buys a used car from you, it's good to highlight your ability to do oil changes at the close. If someone buys new clothing because they "lost weight" you might let people know when the next season's shipment is due to arrive. You have a captive and receptive audience if you've made a sale. Take the opportunity to make more future sales.
2. Let people know what activities are happening soon in your business.- If your business has future events planned, new products arriving, extended hours on the way or is in the process of launching new social media projects- let people know! Word of mouth advertising is still the most effective form, and words from your mouth equal advertising. Have a list of things that you can talk to customers about that pertain to the near future plans for your business, and communicate that list to individuals as part of the sales process.
3. Inform people of upcoming events in the community.- We talk a lot about "target markets." Well, if someone is utilizing your products or services, they probably fit your "target" mold. The closer the target, the more likely you are to score a hit (sale). Letting people know about events and/or activities in your immediate area that can bring consumers back to the proximity of your business could result in future sales. Plus, imparting knowledge on consumers reinforces the "expert" service climate most businesses or organizations want to create. Don't know what's going on in the community? Find out about local events at www.etownapp.com .
4. Collect information.- One of the most valuable things a business can establish is a customer list. Whether you are creating an individualized marketing plan or establishing a future "blue sky" asset, an accurate customer list gives you flexibility to reach out to the consuming public. Asking for e-mails, social media "handles", phone numbers and addresses allows a business to follow up in a more personal manner. Don't spam or harass, but if you can tell someone "this just came in and I instantly thought of you" or if you can follow up on a question a customer asked, you can establish consumer loyalty and future sales. If you don't have a way to contact a customer, future interactions are random and inconsistent.
5. Use the person's name.- Once you hear "thanks for stopping in" for the thousandth time it loses its meaning for the consumer and the business person. If you don't take the time to use someone's name, subconsciously people may feel like you value them as a consumer but not as an individual. Personalize your "bring back" statement by using a persons name and a unique phrase based upon your previous interaction. One of the things that generally distinguishes small businesses from "the big guys" is personal service, so being impersonal isn't really an option for successful entrepreneurs.
6. Ask for feedback.- Each person you have a professional interaction with is a potential focus group. Asking for consumers to give feedback lets them know you want to continually improve and that you value their input. Following up afterwards letting a consumer know that you implemented one of their ideas can create long term loyalty.
7. Pay a compliment beyond "thank you."- You should show appreciation to people you interact with professionally, but the way you say "thank you" needs to vary or the statement loses meaning. Complimenting people on their "smart purchase", "good eye", their ability to plan for their family, how thoughtful they were, or any other unique compliment will stand out in a consumers mind because it's different from what they normally hear. Standing out (in a good way) within the mind of your consumer is important to create buzz and advocacy.
8. Ask consumers to advocate (and give them a reason to).- Consumers will often talk about friends or family members that would want or need your products or services. After the sale, its smart to encourage the consumer to reach out to those people as advocates. You can even supply something like a business card, coupon or gift certificate in anticipation of the consumer's advocacy. You talking about your business to the public is very important, but when you can get other people to recommend your business, those testimonials are generally more effective.
Take out some paper and physically write down a few thoughts on how you and your staff can alter the way you bring consumers back to your business or organization, then act on them. It is easy to establish bad sales habits just because repetition is simpler than thinking about these issues critically. But, if you can use your basic brain power to increase your sales, consumer contact, advocacy and patronage, why wouldn't you?
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Did you know???
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Last week, we spoke to an economic and community development group in Ottawa, hosted a Business Enhancement Meeting, met with a development financier, held our
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Uncommon Threads demonstrated how the screen printing process worked during the "How its Made" tour.
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first ever "How It's Made" tour, provided fencing for a local business participating in the Great Finds on Highway 99 event, spoke on a rural development panel for the Kansas Leadership Center meeting in Hays, set a Code Team visit for another new potential business downtown, accepted a spot with the Kansas delegation for an international sustainability conference, and conducted planning activities for a very busy latter half of October. Exposure to a lot of individuals from throughout the state that have heard great things about downtown Emporia recently means some
good questions from all of you AND others
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1. "Where were you Friday?"- From a local community member. The Kansas Leadership Center invited me to speak at a conference in Hays as part of a panel that discussed rural economics and the future of communities in Kansas. The presentation was rather early in the morning, and I met with some Hays city officials and Ellis County officials afterwards to discuss topics at a more in depth level. The distance from Emporia took me out of the office for the day.
2. "How did you feel about the How it's Made Tour?" From a participant. I turned around and asked the same question back, and the participant thought it was "fantastic". We never know how a new event will go, or how it will be received by the public, but we've already had new businesses volunteer to be part of the next tour and multiple tour participants stated they were excited about the next opportunity. We want to spend some time following up with the participating businesses from the first tour (thank you Complete Works, The Sweet Granada and Uncommon Threads) because we want to determine the actual impact on business both through participant sales and word of mouth. The goal is to get locals more familiar with some of the local businesses that actually produce unique items to promote sales and local loyalty. We always have to try new and different things to remain relevant, and we hope that this new tour idea will help local production based businesses grow. Click HERE for more How It's Made Tour photos.
3. "What do you consider the biggest challenges facing rural Kansas communities over the next couple of decades?" From an audience member at an event. All communities will have challenges over the next few decades, but rural Kansas communities have a number complex problems they will need to solve. The price of energy (including gasoline) will continue to rise, resulting in higher overhead and lower disposable income for many rural citizens. Sprawling infrastructure will result in higher water rates for many communities because more infrastructure will require repair with less citizens per square mile to pay for it. Decision paralysis (or even worse, decisions based on economic models from a few decades ago) could prevent some communities from stabilizing their economies and reversing negative economic trends. As society becomes more dependent of fast moving data, communities with insufficient communications infrastructure will exclude themselves from some kinds of jobs. In some areas, the inaccessible nature of high quality water sources for residential and commercial use in sufficient volume will be a major issue. All of these challenges have solutions, but rural communities will need to adapt quickly to a rapidly changing economic landscape, and they will need solid expertise that can intersect multiple types of community and economic development techniques to make consistent and positive changes that lead to growth.
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Complete Works showed "How its Made" tour participants how to create laser engraved items.
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4. "How many events is Main Street involved in during the year?" From a How it's Made tour participant. We have some involvement in 35-40 substantial events per year, including tours, musical events, street festivals, Quarter Mania's, athletic events, conferences and more. It is a hectic schedule, especially when you consider that we do a lot with economic development, design, community marketing and everything else we have going on at Main Street. But, these events are necessary to help local businesses, create community pride and assist hard working individuals that want to keep attendance growing.
5. "Why are you so concerned about the price of energy for small businesses?" From a social conversation after a recent conference. I'm concerned because the price of energy goes into overhead, which either raises prices or reduces profitability. Either puts businesses in an uncomfortable spot. Additionally, energy prices wouldn't be confined to the business realm. Because we have a tendency to drive more in Kansas (especially in the Flint Hills region) and we get the high and low temperatures associated with actual seasons, the future impact on energy could be significant. A consumer sector impacted by higher energy costs could mean less disposable income available for local goods and services. To combat this, we need to integrate renewable energy production, energy conservation and smart (dense) community design into future planning. The following table shows projected energy cost changes over the next three decades. The middle (most likely) scenario is a 5% rise in energy costs on a per year average.
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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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October 1
Board of Directors Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Main Street office
October 8
Promotions Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office
Design Meeting
noon in the Emporia Main Street office
October 15
Board of Directors Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office.
October 18
Art-Toberfest
4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at the Granada Theatre.
October 22
Business Enhancement Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office.
October 25
Eek Town Trick or Treat and Haunted Tours
October 30
Public Improvement Auction
November 9
Freedom Fest
November 29
Small Business Saturday
For more community event listings, please visit:
www.etownapp.com
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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