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Emporia Main Street
E-Newsletter
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Greetings!
The holidays are upon us! Join local Veteran's Week celebrations this week, prepare for some cool upcoming holiday activities and watch as some local businesses are changing things up for the fourth quarter. Keep reading for more good news about your Emporia in this week's Emporia Main Street e-news! |
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Banner Walk
Experience the stories of area veterans on your own Banner Walk. Download Veteran Bios by CLICKING HERE and walk the downtown corridor while you read the stories of veterans included on each banner. If you want to find a particular veteran, CLICK HERE for the location listings. This is a great opportunity for families to talk about the sacrifices of loved ones, youth to learn about what life was like for our local heroes and history buffs to learn about real local history. Take a walk downtown and learn the stories behind the faces before the banners come down for 2014. |
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CLICK HERE to sign your business or organization up for holiday activities, including Midnight Madness!
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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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Get Signed Up for Holiday Events!
CLICK HERE for a list of upcoming events and the sign up form.
So far, our Midnight Madness Participants include: Poehler Mercantile,
Water's True Value Hardware, Jim's Cowboy Shop, 31, 2nd Love, Studio 50 4, Paula's Creations, the Emporia Arts Center, Java Cat and the Salvation Army.
We also have a Window Contest, Garden Contests, Quarter Mania and MUCH MORE this Holiday Season. Take advantage of marketing opportunities and sign up TODAY!
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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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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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Understanding Millennials
By: Lauren Woolard
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Millennials- They have a different way of life, they value different things, and their priorities are different than those of the previous generations. But why should we care to understand them? And more importantly, why should we structure our community around their desires? Millennials, those born between 1980 & the early 2000s, make up 1/3 of the workforce, meaning that you are probably employing them, working with them, or even working for them. They are the future of our community, so understanding what drives this generation is essential for success in both our economy and workforce.
They reject the suburban lifestyle
- 62% of Millennials prefer to live in areas where they can be close to restaurants, bars, offices, and retail stores. They want to have it all and they want it in close proximity. They want to live, work, and play in the same area. This increases the need for mixed used developments, residential living on the top floors with commercial spaces on the bottom floor, in non-urban areas in order to attract Millennials.
- The Millennial generation is less likely to be homeowners. They are spending more time in school, incurring debt from student loans, and marrying later. This means that they would rather rent properties until they have a stable career, begin paying off debt and get married.
- They don't like to drive. Millennials today are choosing alternate transportation such as walking, biking, and public transportation more than any generation before. They are less likely to get driver's licenses or take long car trips. In fact, 65% say that losing their phone or computer would have a greater negative impact on their daily life than losing their car.
They would rather be happy in their careers than make a ton of money
 Millennials would rather be broke and happy than work at a job they hate. They are less likely to succumb to staying unhappily at a job in order to advance their career.- More than half of Millennials say they would like to start their own business, and several Millennials became successful entrepreneurs in their 20s and 35% have started a business on the side to supplement their income.
- Millennials have reported that they consider creativity to be a very important job feature, but were less likely to report that having a job where they can see results or have advancement opportunities was very important.
- 71% of Millennials think that meetings to decide on a course of action are inefficient. They would rather take action than have countless meetings.
They are a different type of consumer
- 63% of Millennials stay up to date with their favorite brands via social media
- Almost half say that word of mouth influences their purchases more than advertising, while 32% say they don't like advertising in general. This generation requires you to get creative if you want them to like your brand.
- 44% are willing to promote products or services through social media in exchange for rewards. (This is a win-win fo
 r businesses. If you put a deal on Facebook stating that everyone who shares it gets 20% off their next purchase, you not only reach your friends list, but you reach every friend of every person that shares that photo). - They love a good deal. Ever hear of 'Win It Wednesday'? Or social media giveaways in general? This strategy has taken over Instagram & Facebook. Retailers post a picture and ask their friends to like & share the photo for a chance to win the item in it. (Again, tons of exposure for the business). Millennials love to save a buck and 77% of them participate in loyalty programs.
So, what does all of this mean? It means that we have to rethink the way we structure our communities. Numbers show that these trends are steadily increasing and to be successful, communities need to be dense, walkable, and have a strong public transportation system. We also need to rethink the way we are marketing to this generation. The Millennial Generation wants the urban feel even if they can't live in a big city and those three characteristics are vital in recreating that atmosphere.
For more information on statistics and facts in this article, see the links below:
White House Report
Millennials Flock to Urban Areas
Washington Post
Forbes
74 Interesting Facts About Millennials
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Did you know???
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Last week, we worked on FreedomFest, did some additional banner work, held a board meeting, talked to three businesses about alternative financing for upcoming  expansion projects, started work on Christmas lighting (yikes), started signing up participants for a variety of upcoming events, worked with the city on a potential local development and held an education session for a local business on a very specific type of specialty financing. We are looking forward to a great (but cold) week of Veterans Day activities, and we are happy that the arctic chill held off for our Sunday activities! All the cool things going on in town means some
good questions from all of you
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1. "How did FreedomFest go?"- From a local volunteer. It was a bit overwhelming. When you essentially double the turnout for event participation, things get a little crazy. But, we raised a lot of funds for the All Veterans Memorial, and that's the point of the activity. FreedomFest is an example of a true partnership event. Main Street works as equals with the All Veterans Memorial Committee, the Emporia Recreation Commission, the local National Guard unit and High Gear to complete various independent tasks. Trust built through working relationships means that we can all act independently while working together for a common goal. We help raise $1,800 for the All Veterans Memorial, and due to a generous donation from IM Design Group, we were able to raise $1,000 for the families of reserve units. Immediately after the event, the coordinating groups met to talk about ways to improve FreedomFest. With huge turnout numbers, we devised ways to streamline the registration process. We also talked at length about improvements to the cycling portion of the event to enhance recognition for cyclists and give them something "special". We constantly want to improve any event that Main Street is involved with, and with this event in particular, we know that improvements will lead to more funds available to the local All Veterans Memorial.
2. "So, how do you really think the local economy is doing?" From an audience member after last week's economic forum. I think the local economy is improving, but there is still a lot of uncertainty. One of the things that came out of the forum that might have been overlooked was the need for a more holistic data view. If we simply view each business as its own economic activity, we are encouraged to list off positive "wins" while ignoring "losses" in other areas. The more comprehensive approach is to look at generalized data that should improve within a healthy economy (and an effective economic plan). Dr. Rob Catlett suggested Median Household Income as a good measure of economic health, because those incomes drive disposable spending available for individual households. As median household income goes up, relative to other counties in the state, more disposable income is generally available to spend on goods and services, and the local economy improves. A second measure that we should watch is market trade area population. Population effects workforce availability, and an increase in population means more consumers available to purchase local goods and services. Thus, we must look at strategies designed to retain and grow our population while growing incomes (and wealth) to truly expand our local economy.
3. "When are the historic ornaments going to be out?" From a call to the office. They are out right now. You can buy your ornaments in the Emporia Main Street office, Town Crier, Poehler Mercantile, Graves Drug Store, the Granada Coffee Company, the Chamber, Junque Drawer Emporium and Studio 50-4.
4. "Can we start a project and then ask for tax credits later?" From a downtown property owner. Usually, no. Most financing projects require paperwork submissions prior to a project launch, so work started or completed prior to paperwork submission can't generally be backdated (there are some very rare exceptions). So, if you want to use most types of tax credits, its a good idea to submit your paperwork FIRST and THEN start your project. We aren't experts in every type of alternative financing, but if you have questions on a particular program we will do our best to either answer your concerns or connect you with someone who can give you additional information.
5. "Can we get a Main Street loan without using a bank for any financing?" From a new property owner downtown. Generally, no. We consider the loan pools we administer as "gap financing". The "gap" we are referring to is the amount of dollars between what banks can lend and what the business needs. Main Street isn't here to compete with local financial institutions. Our loan programs are designed to mitigate risk for a local bank and give an entrepreneur access to a fully capitalized project.
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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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November 12
Promotions Team Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office
Design Team meeting
Noon in the Emporia Main Street office
November 19
Board of Directors Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office
November 25
Special TUESDAY Business Enhancement Team Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office
November 29
Small Business Saturday
December 2
Chamber Christmas Parade
December 4
Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
Main Street window judging
Main Street Garden Judging
December 6
Breakfast with Santa
December 9
Quarter Mania
December 11
Midnight Madness
Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
December 19
Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
April 18
The Taste
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
Eclectic Bikes
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
Little Red Rooster
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
Rockin' Accessories
Sauder Custom Fabrication
Schellers Lawn and Landscape
Scott's Lawn and Landscaping
Second Love Gifts
Stanley Jewelry
Studio 11
Studio 50.4
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
Mary Kay- Lori Engle
Origami Owl- Angela Dowell
Paula's Creations
Pampered Chef- Chelsea Gerleman
Purse Lady- Nancy Crawford
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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