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Emporia Main Street
E-Newsletter
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Greetings!
The staff is busy getting ready for the Great American Market and a host of other fantastic activities. Are you ready?
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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.
Volunteers Needed! In order to make this year's Great American Market the best it can be, we need volunteers to help set up, tear down/clean up, and other general duties. If you're available, please fill out the Volunteer Sign-up Form!
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A Homegrown Night of Entertainment and Auction
October 15th, at the Granada Theatre
Silent Auction starts at 6:00 p.m. and the live auction starts at 7:00 p.m.
LIVE Entertainment- Tickets are just $10!!!
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Quarter Mania- September 22
Do you want to gain some new customers for your business in a fun atmosphere that actually PAYS your business back? Quarter Mania may be the event you are looking for! Secure your business spot in the next Quarter Mania by contacting Emporia Main Street TODAY!
Click HERE for a video describing Quarter Mania.
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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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Are You An Artisan, Or An Entrepreneur? How you THINK determines what you DO (and how you do it...)
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The vast majority of the articles included in the newsletter are geared towards businesses and organizations. I thought we'd take a break from that for a week to simply explain a major point of confusion with many community members when they are looking at the actions (or inaction) of local property owners, businesses and organizations.
Most people view business or property ownership from an external, "sterile" perspective. Decision-making in businesses, for properties, or within organizations is based in their sense of logic; consequently, they don't always understand when entrepreneurs don't act as they think an entrepreneur should act like. They ask questions like, "why wouldn't they just sell the business/property?" or "why are they concerned that they are too busy?" and even more internal questions about hours, types of payments received and inventory management. What people don't understand is that decisions are sometimes made from a non-business or more emotional perspective. When we run into that scenario, we refer to those people as "artisans", for lack of a better term.
The differences between artisans and entrepreneurs are many, and some people display elements of both decision making types. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses, and each responds to opportunities and threats differently. It is important to determine which type of business you are dealing with (or which elements within the business you are dealing with) to determine your level of interaction and their staying power. Here are a few key differences:
1. Entrepreneurs build businesses for their targeted clientele that they, themselves are passionate about. Artisans build businesses that they are passionate about, and they hope others are too (just not too much). Entrepreneurs look for market gaps that are large enough to create a profitable business venture  or a sustainable organization, then they acquire the necessary resources to effectively take advantage of the market opportunity. That doesn't mean they don't enjoy the category of business they are working in or have working knowledge of that area ( they consider themselves a resource, too), but their overriding goal is to make a profit within the market. Artisans look at the things they love or love to do and figure out how to make a business out of it. Because artisans are generally fairly interesting and well-connected people, they exist in "bubble" groups of like-minded individuals and hope that the bubble is big enough to garner support. If their "bubble" contains individuals that think more like an entrepreneur and can freely share concerns/opportunities, an artisan can be more successful.
2. Entrepreneurs are focused on succession planning to aid in the continuation of a business and to maximize profitability. Artisans either don't want someone else owning "their" business, or they are such an integral part of the business that it loses almost all of its value without their involvement. To artisans, a business or organization is an expression of themselves. They can't see the business ever existing without them, so they typically don't  incorporate realistic transition planning into their overall strategic plans ( some don't even have overall strategic plans). Entrepreneurs always plan to transition the business. Some just like to do a lot of different things ( we call these people "serial entrepreneurs") and they will switch between business types every few years by selling off their former venture and investing in a new one. Or, entrepreneurs will know how to effectively "kick out" of a business to minimize losses or maximize gains as they either expand another business or go in a different direction. Although both types may have some sentimental attachment to the business or organization, entrepreneurial businesses are built to function in a "turn key" environment and artisan businesses typically can't function long term without the artisan.
3. Entrepreneurs fit their store hours and internal processes to fit the public. Artisans fit their store hours and internal processes to fit their lifestyle. Entrepreneurs look at hours and services from the perspective of maximizing inflows for the business. They want to be available when consumers are wanting interaction with them, and provide services that make it easy to spend or donate. Artisans form hours and amenities based on their lifestyle and how they want the consumer to interact with them.
4. Entrepreneurs make calculated decisions between quality and profit margins, with profit margins coming first. Artisans make calculated decisions between quality and profit margin, with quality coming first. This is one of the biggest differences between artisans and entrepreneurs... Artisans will often  "take the hit" on products and other costs to fit their own internal criteria and have margins that suffer because of it. Entrepreneurs will often focus on margins and try and find comparable alternatives that improve margins and preserve profitability. The positive for the artisan is that the higher quality and understanding of niche products/services inspire more loyalty. The negative for the artisan is that the decrease in margins bleeds away profitability and makes long term sustainability difficult. The entrepreneur may have more staying power by focusing on margins, but they also become more homogeneous and have to build brand loyalty through dedicated marketing plans.
5. Entrepreneurs talk in terms of adding services or amenities to fit the needs of their clientele. Artisans typically view doing "extra" as something that cuts into their personal time. Events, activities, and other "beyond working hours" types of interaction represent marketing opportunities for the entrepreneur. Those same issues cut into "personal time" for the artisan. The Artisans will spend "personal time" strengthening their own internal network instead of broadening a base that may represent a lower return on investment.
6. Entrepreneurs view marketing as an investment, and seek to invest in advertising mechanisms that are part of a cohesive branding strategy to build traffic and sales. Artisans view marketing as a waste of precious resources and rely on internal networks to further their message. This trend is one of the  most damaging to the artisan. Stating "I don't have the money to market my business" is essentially eliminating one of the major tools you need to build resources for vital business activities. Artisans have an intuitive ability to connect with their target market that remains dormant without a cohesive brand strategy that makes actual sense. Artisans depend far too much on social media, and with the declining effectiveness of page posts, coupled with a distinct lack of brand awareness that exists in many artisan business, problems will inevitably develop. Entrepreneurs focus more on marketing because they have to. The necessity to stand out to a given customer base through constant repetition of prevailing themes that are important to a target market is critical to their long term success. It's ironic that the artisan should have the competitive advantage when it comes to marketing because of their inherent uniqueness, but because of personnel and decision making limitations they almost always lose this competitive high ground. Which brings us to the next point:
7. Entrepreneurs train and build human resources based on people with solid foundations and willingness to learn. Artisans rely on friends, or friends of friends to fill their staffing needs, even if their skill sets don't synchronize with the needs of the business. Because entrepreneurs attempt to build "turn key" businesses (businesses that can function with or without their presence) they typically have well-defined training programs for staff. Artisans have much less "definition" to their different employment types, and their training really depends on who they hire, what they are needed for at the time and the preexisting personal relationship. Sometimes, the fact that an artisan business has people of diverse backgrounds that aren't technically trained in a specific area is an advantage; they view problems in such a different manner that unique solutions are found. However, many times conclusions are made about the ability level in an artisan staff that makes them "responsible" for a critical area of the business that they really shouldn't be involved with (for the good of the business). Entrepreneurs often tend to discourage innovation because they "slot" employees for certain duties without giving them the personal fulfillment that accompanies the creation of a new project that they manage from start to fruition. Both the entrepreneur and the artisan must be cognizant of their management style and the ACTUAL skills of their staff to achieve long term success.
8. Entrepreneurs put the long term health and viability of the business first, they understand that achievements come through hard work and they view success through metrics. Artisans take business  decisions in a series of short term "chunks", they don't always mind hard work (as long as it doesn't conflict with the rest of life) and they measure success in how they feel about their lives and the business/organization. Entrepreneurs are very money and brand conscious. They tend to look at the cash flow implications of their business decisions and engage in longer term planning for alternative marketing, events, expansions or other activities. The longer term mindset of the entrepreneur tries to project and intersect with market trends because they can't adjust quite as quickly as an artisan ( but they are a LOT quicker to adapt than a hierarchical organizational entity or a corporation). The artisan thinks short term, and usually takes on projects in a highly compressed time frame. They "go with their gut" a lot rather than tying data to decisions. They make look at register totals for a day or week, but they often have trouble associating metrics with their own marketing or business efforts.
9. Artisans hold on to people/things for emotional reasons. Entrepreneurs can let people/things go for business reasons. Artisans will generally shut their doors rather than execute a sale (in a realistic fashion).  They will often hold onto staff ( or have them in positions they aren't qualified for). Artisans generally create more loyalty among their staff because of the emotional connections they engage in, and their employees tend to showcase more passion for the business and they are better advocates than employees of other business types. However, when an employee exits an artisan business on bad terms, sparks likely fly... Entrepreneurs will look at staffing as an input and make decisions accordingly. They will sell a business or a portion of a business for the right price and tend to view business development as asset development.
10. Artisans tend to create things that have a phenomenal short term run. Entrepreneurs view each opportunity as something that builds long term capacity to grow the existing venture or to form a new one. When people talk about short term burn out, they generally talk about artisan businesses. Some artisan  businesses have a long term existence, but they coast with an owner that's been burnt out for a long time and lose substantial value over time. They typically start a little slower, reach tremendous heights and then have trouble building a structure that allows them to evolve. Entrepreneurial businesses follow curved growth patterns that have growth acceleration or deceleration that corresponds with each reinvention of their business and their ability to adapt. Entrepreneurial businesses generally don't "boom" or "bust" as quickly as an artisan business because they have a more strategic growth pattern in mind.
Now, when you look at a property that someone "won't let go of" or a business closes that could have probably been sold with "blue sky" or businesses make decisions that you don't quite understand, you may be able to empathize a little more. Businesses and organizations are made of people. People bring their own values and experiences to their businesses or organizations. Both entrepreneurs and artisans have their pros and cons, and if we have a better understanding of where each group is coming from, we can better determine how to help and interact with them.
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Did you know???
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Last week we talked to a couple of local financial institutions regarding some exciting new businesses seeking to start up downtown, met with consultants about funding progress for
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Pat Kluthe talked about custom clock repair at last weeks How It's Made Tour for Time Travelers Clock Repair
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a community project, held two "start-up" consulting sessions for entrepreneurs looking to start some new ventures, hosted a "q and a" with a local business category expert, held a "How its Made" tour, interviewed an economics intern, participated in a Lyon County meeting, met with city officials concerning some upcoming projects, participated in a National Main Street conference call, attended the "soft opening" of the new Dugout, and received a series of good news through a variety of different outlets about some projects and initiatives we've been working on. It was another really busy week, and we have the Great American Market coming up QUICKLY, so we got some great questions from all of you!
1. "How was the "How It's Made" tour?"- From a local volunteer. It was good. About twenty-five people attended and we got to watch Jim's Cowboy Shop do some boot, shoe and hat repair (people from all over the nation send their items to Jim's), we saw the intricate clock repair and restoration process of Time Travelers (a new business that's already getting clocks from several surrounding states) and we got to see some of the new Dynamic Discs products (including their officially licences Marvel line with a Captain America disc). Overall, people were amazed that we had small local businesses that they drive by every day that were bringing dollars to Emporia from such a large geographic area. That's the cool thing about our local entrepreneurs versus the large chains: our locals are so unique that they often act as capital importers, and that is really important for our community! Click HERE for the photo album.
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A new ladies clothing boutique is opening up in the 1100 Block of Commercial Street in downtown Emporia! Stop by and check it out!!!
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2. "How has the return of students affected local businesses?" From a community leader. As one might expect, the impact has been really positive. But, one exciting note is the number of students that are staying for nightlife. We are just a few amenities away from giving students a lot of options that could change us from "suitcase community" to "destination". We just have to focus on our unique amenities and keep working together!
3. "How did National Main Street decide to feature Emporia Main Street for an article?" From a volunteer. On the day of our Emporia Main Street Annual Meeting, we had the honor of hosting the National Main Street President, Patrice Frey. During her visit, we conducted a very brief tour of Emporia and introduced her to some of the local businesses including IM Design Group. To give Ms. Frey a better understanding of Emporia, we provided her with a Business Investment Guide and walked her through the different elements contained within the document. At the Annual Meeting, Ms. Frey held up the Business Investment Guide as something that made our organization unique, special and effective. The following week, I was contacted by the National Main Street Center, and they gauged my interest in writing an article for their newsletter which is distributed both within the United States and internationally. I love the opportunity to showcase Emporia in a positive light, so I jumped at the chance. So far, we've gotten positive feedback about our community from as far away as Canada, and we hope that many communities will take advantage of this tool, developed in conjunction with IM Design Group, to improve their communities. To read the article, CLICK HERE.
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. "What was your "happy dance" news on Friday?" From a Facebook friend. We try and take "wins" whenever we can get them. Friday we had the Business Investment Guide published in the National Main Street newsletter, we were accepted into a prestigious Smart Growth Conference as speakers, we were given the honor of serving on a National Main Street Committee and we received notification that a large grant was approved for a local project. Now, Monday was an entirely different day... But, I have to say that looking back over the past several months and years at Main Street I think our wins have outnumbered our losses. If you don't believe me, take a few moments to watch this awesome video about a local event ( CLICK HERE).
5. "Why do all of these community activities and fundraisers have a big first year followed by a drop off?" From a community member. Innovation with events, activities and fundraisers are a blessing and a curse. The blessing is inherent in the act of innovation: you try something different. The curse part lies in the fact that you are now noticed. With organizations like Main Street, we definitely have to "walk our talk". We can't ask people to shop local if we don't, to attend local events if we don't, or volunteer to help the community if we don't. Each donor, volunteer or supporter should expect some level of reciprocation where we can provide it. If I asked Radius for support and then went out of town to eat every other weekend (and encouraged others to do the same) I would expect that the next time I came asking for support that Gus might say "I'll match whatever that out-of-town restaurant did." We are all in this together, and it takes a community of people that understand that interconnection to create a thriving city. When we don't understand those things, we have the "drop offs" alluded to in the question.
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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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September 2
Board of Directors Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street Office
September 9th
Promotions Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street Office
Design Meeting
Noon in the Emporia Main Street office
September 12
Great American Market
September 16
Board of Directors Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street office
September 19-20
Trilogy Open
September 22
Quarter Mania
September 23
Business Enhancement Meeting
8:00 a.m. in the Emporia Main Street Office
October 15
Public Improvement Auction
October 22-23
Multi State Development Conference
October 24-25
Escape Rooms
October 30-31
Haunted Tours
October 31
Downtown Trick or Treat
November 8
Freedom Fest
April 23
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
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
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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