Emporia Main Street
E-Newsletter
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Greetings!
August is here! Back to school is right around the corner, and the community is ready to swell with excitement from all the college students. Keep reading for tips on creating a business culture, community questions and much more in this week's e-news!
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The Great American Market is Saturday, September 12th from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Have you signed up for your booth space? Spots are filling quickly! CLICK HERE for the vendor form.
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For more information on the Emporia Arts Center, Click HERE.
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Here at Flint Hills Technical College, we are dedicated to several things....enriching lifelong learning, providing opportunities for personal growth and engaging with our community. Thanks to our Community Connections program and our many community partners, teachers and volunteers, we are able to accomplish all of those goals and more!
Community Connections at FHTC offers non-credit continuing education courses dedicated to personal and professional development. These courses range in categories such as Allied Health, Arts & Languages, Business and Leadership Development, Career & Finance, Computers & Technology, Culinary, Earth & Nature, Health & Wellness, Living Green, Personal Interest, Professional Development, Recreation & Fitness, and Youth. Two of our most popular class series include Start Your Own Business and Kids College. We also have hundreds of online classes from Ed2Go & Pro Train Educational Services.
Our community partners are what make this program a success. Partnerships with local organizations and businesses help to keep the enrollment cost low for individuals attending these classes. A huge Thank You goes out to some of our partners who include Emporia Farmers Market, Emporia Main Street, Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Development Center, Studio 11, Leadership Emporia, High Gear, Mulready's Pub, Dynamic Discs, United Way of the Flint Hills, Dirty Kanza, ESB Financial, Lyon County Extension, Shepherd's Valley Farm, The Orchard, and many more.
Another key element to our success is the talented and dedicated instructors who teach for Community Connections. These individuals continually suggest ideas for new courses and bring fresh ideas to our menu of classes. Volunteers are the backbone of the Community Connections program. They provide us with a diverse background of knowledge and interests to encompass our community outreach. We are always seeking new instructors and volunteers to help with key areas such as curriculum, publicity, marketing and coordination with other community efforts.
Expanding our community outreach and partnerships is a constant goal we are striving for. We know there are many more areas we can expand in to. If your group, organization or business would like to join our list of partners, we would be happy to visit with you about how you can participate in our program.
Starting in September, our course catalog and offerings will be delivered in three terms: Fall/Winter, Spring and Summer. We offer several ways of staying in touch with Community Connections. We have our printed catalog that will be distributed three times a year. We have a monthly email newsletter. Our online catalog and registration is available at www.flinthills.augusoft.net . We are active on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/CommunityConenctionsFHTC ) and Twitter ( @CommunityCFHTC ). If you would like to be added to our mailing list, would like to volunteer, teach, or just want more information, please contact Julie Cooper at (620) 341-1377 or email at [email protected] .
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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!
For the Web Version, click here:
www.etownapp.com
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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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Building a business means building a CULTURE
Modern successful businesses are focused on lifestyle branding, are you?
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Through the Start Your Own Business Class, countless business start up meetings, and business funding programs, I've had the opportunity to work with a lot of successful and growing businesses within the region. I've also worked with businesses that weren't as successful. When potential entrepreneurs talk to me about what generates success within a business, they are not surprised by some of my answers (have a good relationship with your banker, utilize the Small Business Development Center, bring a good attorney onto your team, great accountants are an invaluable resource, never stop marketing/advertising, hire good staff that you trust, create check lists, little things can turn into big things if you aren't careful, manage your cash flow...) but entrepreneurs are generally surprised when I talk about creating a culture.
One of the most dramatic business shifts in the last decade has been the shift away from simple price-based strategies to an experience-based consumer interaction. Internet sales and direct-from- manufacturer conduits have made competing solely on the basis of price difficult for all businesses. Even service businesses are feeling the pinch in competing with cloud based alternatives to their expertise based options. Successful businesses of all types have found an effective counter to the "price only" consumer model: culture building. The beautiful thing about a culture building business strategy is that it applies universally to all business and organizational types. It doesn't matter if you are a retailer, restaurant, service provider, educator, non-profit or home based entity... The tenants of a culture based business model can help elevate your business beyond "place that provides stuff or services" to "something that helps improve my life and is part of who I am". This shift fundamentally changes the relationship between the consumer or public and the business or organization, but you need to pay close attention to a few realities to take advantage of this strategy.
1. Your business or organization is not for everyone.- When I meet with an entrepreneur and they tell me that their market is "everyone" a little shiver runs up my spine. No business or organization appeals to every person. So, businesses and organizations have to set a series of qualified cultural values to determine who their actual target market is. Targeting these individuals goes well beyond the categories of age, gender and income. What do your ideal consumers actually value? How would their actions reinforce the adherence to those values? Now, recognize that not everyone fits the mold you just created, and that's okay. Creating loyalty and advocacy among your consuming public means catering to the consumers that best fit your cultural expectations.
2. Define and communicate who you ARE and just as importantly, who you AREN'T.- You can't be all things to all people, but you need to identify what your business or organization is about (and what you aren't about) so that you can actively communicate with your target audience. An educational institution may talk about people that are energetic and want to work hard to learn new things for the expressed purpose of creating a wonderful life full of opportunities, and it may follow with the counter that if an individual simply wants to sit at home all day, has no ambition, doesn't want to put in the work and really doesn't care about success that this probably isn't the institution for them. By setting the optimum consumer and distancing from a personality type that probably wouldn't fit within the parameters of a happy consumer of higher educational services, they create more opportunities for further growth and success. A "we will take any warm body" approach to consumer outreach typically has negative long term consequences for any business or organization.
3. It's okay to set standards and expectations.- The values lens that organizations set inherently contain qualified boundaries. A friend of mine applied to become a "big" for Big Brothers Big Sisters a few months ago, and I received a phone call interview to provide an assessment of her. Individual staff members within BBBS also are able to provide their own assessments. With a constant need for volunteers, why wouldn't they simply take anybody that applied? Their organization understands that people that aren't dependable or have other negative personality traits can create a disappointing situation for their clientele and hurt their organizational standing. When it comes to customers, volunteers, vendors, staff members and associates, it is okay to set standards. The goal is to create tangible progress that benefits the culture you are trying to create. If individuals either don't further those goals, or you have reservations based on your set standards and expectations, its okay to back away.
4. You need to find out what the public actually wants (not just what they say they want).- We often ask the wrong questions of the public and then are disappointed that their actions don't coincide with their answers. I often use an exotic car analogy when discussing this point. If I approached ten people at a downtown event and said "how would you like a brand new Porsche?", I'd probably get ten positive variations of "heck yes!!!". If I followed that question up with "great, that will be $150,000.", people would probably be much less enthused. When reaching out to the consuming public, it is important to qualify discussions so that you can split discussions between wants, needs and what people will actually support.
5. Actions are always stronger than words. Always.- This point was pretty tough for me starting out in a Main Street position. I have a tendency to trust what people say, and I would get disappointed when their actions didn't live up to their words. What I learned was that in the business world, watch what someone DOES and separate those actions from what they SAY. I know people that say they are hard workers, say they support local businesses/organizations or say they are community supporters. Some do all of those things. Some like to say those things because it makes them feel good about themselves, but their actions and words don't line up. From a consumer standpoint, if you are considering bringing in a new line of merchandise from a local vendor, do their actions indicate that they can provide merchandise in a timely manner or is that just something they say? From a volunteer standpoint, if someone said they were available in town most weekends, but you saw them heading out of town almost every weekend, would you trust them in a volunteer capacity? Making better judgments based on actions allows your organization to build a more positive culture over time because you are dealing with less negative fallout from the failure to meet expectations.
6. Culture extends beyond your four walls.- I've heard that "ethics are what you do when no one is looking". Culture is largely how you maintain your ethos outside of your individual business or organization. I can't say (and maintain credibility) that people should shop local and participate in local events if I don't shop local and attend local events. But beyond what you do, your partnerships outside of your individual business or organization can help create a more sustainable business or organizational culture. Who are the other businesses or organizations out there that live the cultural values you set? If you can find ways to partner, you can create a more pervasive cultural impact because your shared clientele or volunteers now have multiple options to express the values you extol.
7. Convert consumers to advocates.- Consumers often have a hard time talking about a singular brand because they don't want to sound like a commercial. They do, however, like talking about values that may relate strongly to an individual brand. People may passionately talk about the craft beer movement or local food, and then infer support for Mulready's, The Brickyard, The Farmers Market or Radius. These situations only occur when an organization shares its culture and values clearly and concisely. What values do you communicate that resonate with the public and would clearly lead to patronage of your business or organization?
8. Ideas spread like viruses.- A few years ago, Wired Magazine published an article about how political ideas "moved" through social systems. What they found was that the patterns of movement closely resembled that of infectious disease models at the Center for Disease Control. The greater the level of someone's "infection" (in this case, the staunch adherence to their political philosophy) the more likely they were to pass that "infection" on to others. In the context of culture building, that means that businesses and organizations need to work extra hard to create upper level advocates that promote their values and individual organizations, less time on people that are only mildly susceptible to their message and distance themselves from those with values contrary to what they are trying to achieve. It's easier to think that everyone gets what you have to give in the exact same way, but most experienced businesses and organizations can tell you that in practice you treat the super customers or fantastic volunteers a little differently.
9. Reinforce at every opportunity.- This Saturday (into the early morning hours of Sunday) was the Lunar Kanza. Although we love to assist the Kanza folks whenever possible, this was not a Main Street event. Yet, on Sunday we went to social media to congratulate the Lunar Kanza on their participation, hard work, volunteerism and success. Why? Strategically, the Lunar Kanza reinforces a lot of the values that we try and extol. By reinforcing examples outside of our own organization that reflect our values, it provides the general public an easier understanding of our value system while reinforcing the cultural impact we are trying to create outside of just our organization. Can you think of some opportunities your organization has to reinforce your values to the community?
10. MOST IMPORTANTLY- you still have to deliver AND live the values you extol.- Back to basics for a second... Remember that culture building has to couple with solid business practices. You can talk values all day, but if you aren't ordering in merchandise for your customers, you aren't providing timely service and you have inconvenient hours, it won't matter much. Building a business or organizational lifestyle is something that businesses can achieve after they become proficient at conducting their business or organizational duties. Dreaming may lead you to the start line, but doing is the only way you win the race. Remember that in the Midwest people know what you are doing almost as soon as you do it. So, to avoid charges of hypocrisy, you (and your key staff and volunteers) have to live the values you are trying to instill in others.
We will often speak about the importance of "word of mouth" advertising, but consider including your values and culture as part of a consistent marketing/advertising campaign with traditional media. If the only thing that people hear you talk about is your sales or events, they will think that's what you are all about. If you can communicate a deeper values message that resonates with the public, you will eventually generate more public support. What is your organizational culture? What values are you trying to effectively communicate? How can you use the creation of a lifestyle to generate more support? Answer these questions and become what you are capable of!
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Did you know???
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Last week met with some new members, talked with an out-of-state developer, met with sponsors of an upcoming project, started working on some 4th quarter events, met with some consultants on a large project, worked with Flint Hills Technical College on a cool new addition to their next catalog, spoke with some elected officials about some local opportunities, worked on financing options for a couple of new businesses and attended a fun Lunar Kanza event! July went by way too fast, but all the activity resulted in some
good questions from all of you
1. "How many people signed up for the Lunar Kanza?"- From several people at the event. First, I would like to offer congratulations to Jim, Leland, Kristi and Tim from the Dirty Kanza group for a successful event. The Lunar Kanza isn't a Main Street event, but I'm a fan (and an attendee). There were 287 riders in this year's lunar, and some traveled several states for the chance to participate. To put that number in perspective, this year's Lunar Kanza (in just its second year) had more riders than the first year of the downtown iteration of the Dirty Kanza. The biking culture is still growing in this area, and if local community members and organizations continue to actively support local biking agencies, we can solidify ourselves as a biking Mecca. It's happening right now, but we need to continue the trajectory we are on to reap the rewards from being associated with a growing sport.
2. "When is the next downtown clean up scheduled?" From a volunteer. August 15th at 9:00 a.m. starting at the Emporia Main Street office. We have an active downtown with a lot of people that shop our businesses, eat at local restaurants, participate in local entertainment options and patronize local services. Whenever you get a lot of people, trash follows. Picking up trash, dressing up side gardens and beautifying the area prior to the start of ESU classes is just another way to show off the town to visitors and new residents. If you would like to participate, contact the Emporia Main Street office for more information.
3. "Will any of the Governor's announced budget cuts impact Emporia?" From a local community member. Any time you hear the phrase "budget cut", it undoubtedly has an impact somewhere. We don't always understand the unanticipated impacts of a cut, and it didn't look like any programs Main Street uses were impacted directly, but we will reserve judgement until the cuts are implemented and departments adjust.
Riverside Elementary will be holding a walk-about on September 22nd to learn more about their city. If your business would like to host a tour for the students or provide something that shows off your business, please contact Randielle at 620-757-9916 or Tracy at 620-481-9987.
4. "When will the Chelsea Plaza and Lofts be ready?" From an aspiring college student. It was exciting to have a conversation with someone that was "ready to move in", but the Chelsea project won't be completed until next summer. What a change though! Swapping out some dilapidated homes for a zero set back mixed-use development is really changing the landscape of that area for the better. Once the building is built and occupied, we are excited to see the impact the additional downtown residents have on the community core.
5. "How can I tell if my business partner is still the right fit for my business?" From a member. Words and deeds... Partnerships are tricky, but as the article above asserts, all successful businesses and organizations try and promote a lifestyle and culture. Each culture has values. Do the people you work with extol your values? If they don't, do you understand the cause of their values shift? Not everyone is a great fit for every business or organization. If you owned a drive-in movie theater or a bar, and your partner wanted to be gone on weekends, that would be problematic for your business type. If you were a local retailer that promoted the benefits and importance of shopping local, and your partner was a big out-of-town shopper, that probably would hurt your brand. If you had a deadline driven business, and your partner became unreliable, it could hurt your ability to satisfy your customers. Sometimes, differences between partners can be fixed. Sometimes it's best to part ways. But, it is important to view the partnership through an objective lens like culture and the values within that culture. If your partner still fits within the culture, then do your best to work it out. If your partner no longer fits within your cultural values system, it may be time for a difficult conversation.
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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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Brickyard 20 Ale House
402 Merchant
www.brickyard20alehouse.com
2326 Industrial Road
620-342-0150
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Emporia Main Street Calendar of Events
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August 5
Board of Directors Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office
August 12
Promotions Team Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office
Design Team Meeting
Noon in the Emporia Main Street office
August 14
Mix and Match
August 17
Welcome Back Block Party
August 19
Board of Directors Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office
August 26
Business Enhancement Team Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office
September 12
Great American Market
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
Bath Expressions
The Beauty Bar
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
DG Wingz
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
Paper Moon Antiques
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
Thrifts and Gifts
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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