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Webinar: Grow with Google

Wednesday, February 28th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Looking to expand the reach of your small business and get customers in the door?

Google is the #1 source current and potential customers will use to gain information about your business. Learn about all the tools Google can provide to your business to increase business traffic and drive sales.

About Our Presenter

Photo of Janet HurnJanet Hurn is a seasoned professional with a passion for education, digital innovation, brand design, and marketing. With over 30 years of experience, she has established herself as an expert in online course development, e-learning administration, and e-consulting. As the Co-Founder of Future Ready Consulting, Janet is dedicated to supporting new and scaling small businesses in their growth journey. Her extensive background as the Senior Director of Regional E-Campus at Miami University has equipped her with valuable insights into instructional technology and innovative methods for online learning. Janet’s expertise, combined with her commitment to staying ahead of the curve, enables her to provide strategic guidance and consultancy services to elevate brands, improve online presence, and effectively reach target audiences. Whether it’s through brand development, website design, or digital marketing strategies, Janet is ready to empower entrepreneurs and business owners to change the world.

Janet has had many accomplishments, innovations and awards. She holds a DMI Certified Marketing Professional certification, Google Analytics certification, and Google Ads certification. She is also the Grow with Google Ohio Digital Coach, where she teaches small businesses all over Ohio how to use Google tools to enhance their businesses. Janet has a strong background in education, with over 30 years of experience as a Senior Instructor of Physics at Miami University. Under her leadership, the Miami Regionals E-Campus was listed on US News and World Report’s Top Online Schools in 2023 and the top 20 Online Schools in 2021. Janet’s contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the University System of Ohio’s Faculty Innovator Award and the ASCUE.ORG Keynote Speaker honor. Her commitment to excellence and passion for online education make her a valuable asset to the field.

 

 

Lunch & Learn: Access to Capital & Resources for Small Business

Wednesday, April 27th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Join Tim Kehoe, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives at ECDI to learn more about small businesses resources and programs available through ECDI.

Listen in over your lunch time to learn about:

  • Entrepreneurial education and advising opportunities for new or established businesses throughout Ohio
  • Business support programs including Women’s Business Centers of Ohio, Minority Contractor Resource Center, Food Business Incubation, & Social Enterprise Hub​
  • Small Business Lending programs, who is eligible, and the process for applying
  • Training tools and resources available to small business owners

 

Presenter

Tim Kehoe serves as Director of Strategic Partnerships after joining ECDI in 2015 as Portfolio Manager focused on post-loan technical assistance for ECDI’s lending clients. His career started as an entrepreneur, and experienced both the upside and the risk of starting a small business. He has spent his career working for and with small businesses across a wide range of industries. Combining this experience with knowledge of lending programs proves to be a valuable mix of expertise for entrepreneurs needing guidance and assistance.

 

 

Webinar: Small Business Administration Tools and Programs: Orientation for Economic Developers

Wednesday, October 12th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

  • What programs does SBA have to support Main Street Small Businesses?

  • What tools does the SBA make available to small businesses to help them succeed?

  • How does the SBA Cleveland District Office work with local economic development officials?

Small businesses around the country became much more aware of the SBA during the pandemic due to the highly popular Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, Shuttered Venue and Restaurant Revitalization Grants, and more. However, with those programs now sunset and businesses resuming a “new-normal,” what resources are still available from the SBA. How can local Economic Development operatives leverage those resources to help their core merchants thrive?

Presenter

Raymond Graves is the Lead Lender Relations Specialist for the SBA Cleveland District Office. He was previously the credit officer and loan officer for a Chicago-based Certified Development Company, operating the SBA 504. He started his career at SBA at the Columbus Ohio district office and has spent the last 25 years working in small business finance in various roles. He is an NDC-certified Economic Development Finance Professional and a graduate of The Ohio State University and Tufts University (Medford, MA).

Revitalization Series Workshop: The Art & Economics of Filling Your Downtown Buildings

Wednesday, April 21 – 8:00 am – 3:00 pm

Becoming Historic Redevelopment-Ready

Join Corey Leon from the National Development Council for an introduction to the dollars & “sense” of redeveloping a historic building using a computer spread sheet. We’ll touch on the benefits of owning real estate, and key financial documents, such as the pro forma, you need to complete in order to properly evaluate the potential for redeveloping any historic building. We will dig into how lenders review potential projects before they commit to construction and/or permanent financing, and how all the structured redevelopment pieces fit together to make the development happen. Dust off your Lotus 123, Quattro Pro, or Excel and get ready to use an income property spreadsheet for a deep dive into the critical financing perspective of historic building redevelopment. Computer access able to open and edit an Excel spreadsheet is required in order to complete the session cases.

Attracting What Your Community Wants & Needs in Your Downtown

In the afternoon, Jason Duff from Small Nation will discuss proven ways your community can recruit new and expanding businesses to your community. Whether its solving your downtown vacancy problem or how to have a productive conversation with a developer, Jason has a solution for your community. Jason will also share several strategies on nurturing your existing downtown businesses to help them be even more successful.

Speaker

 

Corey Leon

Corey Leon is a director with the National Development Council’s Central Team. Corey is an Economic and Housing Development Finance Professional with over 20 years of experience in community economic development, with an emphasis on real estate finance. He has a full working knowledge of financial underwriting for commercial real estate, residential development and business credit and is skilled in utilizing a broad range of financial resources to structure creative financial packages that bridge the gap between development costs and private sector investment. Corey has assisted with the financial structuring of over $500 million in closed transactions for real estate developments and small business finance transactions.

 

 

Jason Duff

Jason Duff is the Founder of Small Nation which encompasses a group of companies, leaders and investors who develop places, spaces and dreams for small towns and small-town entrepreneurs across the county. Jason and his team at Small Nation have completely revitalized the town of Bellefontaine, Ohio. In 7 short years, they have turned a dying town and helped make it a Best-in-State destination.

Jason and his team can be credited with renovating more than 30 historic buildings, started and founded 14 new businesses that have hired more than 190 employees, 18 new loft apartments and they continue to lead and inspire in making towns and communities strong.

Jason serves on Small Business Advisory Council for US Chamber, is a regular contributor to Forbes, Entrepreneur & Inc Magazine, has been recognized by the White House as Top100 Entrepreneurs in 2013 and 2015, and was recently named Heritage Ohio’s 2019 Young Preservationist of the Year.

Revitalization Series Workshop: LORE Storytelling

Wednesday, February 17 – 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

WHY STORYTELLING? WHY LORE?

A compelling story is the fastest route to human connection and influence. Stories make presentations better. Stories make ideas stick. Stories help us persuade. A well-crafted story connects the listener to the teller, holding attention and driving action.

LORE has been empowering individuals and organizations by giving them the tools and a platform to share their stories since October 2018. Founded by Bridget Flaherty, an award-winning storyteller, LORE has helped hundreds of people craft their personal stories. In addition to hosting workshops for businesses, LORE has partnered with nonprofit and public organizations to gather and promote the stories of their constituents and clients.

LORE Storytelling Workshop

A compelling story is the fastest route to human connection and influence. Stories make presentations better. Stories make ideas stick. Stories help us persuade. This interactive program will teach you how to craft a captivating first-person story. You will learn about the story arc and story components, draft and share your personal story, and receive valuable feedback.

Learning Objectives

• Learn how to distinguish yourself and your company through the stories you tell.

• Acquire creative and powerful tools to communicate in a unique and authentic way.

• Develop a personal story that people want to hear in order to better connect with customers, employees, and colleagues.

Speaker

Bridget Flaherty

Bridget Flaherty has a successful career in Information Technology and Business Process Improvement and she is a Storyteller. Odd combination? Yes. And it makes her uniquely qualified to teach storytelling for business.

The first time that Bridget got on stage to tell a story, she won the competition. Instantly, she was hooked. She began travelling to share stories across the Midwest, including cities like Chicago, Pittsburgh, Ann Arbor, Detroit, Louisville, Cincinnati and Dayton.

Quickly, Bridget recognized how a captivating story can impact business success through effective leadership, captivating marketing, increased sales and clarified company culture. It was a natural fit. Marrying her more than 20 years of experience in business leadership with her passion for storytelling, Bridget developed a curriculum that makes sense for business professionals and she began to share the art of storytelling. LORE was born.

Bridget leads storytelling workshops, small group sessions and provides one-on-one coaching for business professionals that desire to tell a captivating story.

Te’Jal Cartwright

Te’Jal Cartwright was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. Her passion for her community was instilled in her at an early age when she was encouraged to go out into the community with her church. Throughout her academic career, she would find herself more and more concerned about the state of her community and the role that she played in empowering those around her while learning from them as well. After graduating from the University of Dayton with her bachelor’s degree in English, she went on to fundraising and community outreach. It was at her previous job that she discovered her love for hosting. With this discovery she created a digital talk show called What’s the Biz with TJ. What’s the Biz focuses on highlighting black entrepreneur’s stories in an effort to connect the community to black owned businesses. Te’Jal has interviewed more than 35 businesses and has expanded to a national platform within the past year. She’s also interviewed legendary artists like Jojo Brim and Christopher “Play” Martin from Kid N’ Play. Her life’s work is dedicated to creating a better world for her 3 year old son, Luke.

Te’Jal has been a part of the LORE team in a variety of capacities since January 2019. She is an engaging host and a proficient technologist who keeps the LORE Storytelling Workshops moving smoothly.

Understanding PPP Round Two Webinar

Tuesday, January 26 – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Round Two is starting to roll out. If you want to learn more before you apply or are not sure if you qualify, join Shannon Feucht and Jerome Jones from The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as they introduce the basics and answer your questions.

During the webinar, SBA will discuss:

  • Overview of Forgiveness Process & Requirements
  • Overview of the Paycheck Protection Program, as updated by The Economic Aid Act
  • Overview of SBA Resource Partner Services

There will be time to ask questions!

Speakers

Shannon Feucht is a Lead Economic Development Specialist at the Columbus District Office for the U.S. Small Business Administration. In this position, she is responsible for marketing and conducting outreach to entrepreneurs, small businesses, and resource partners in order to help them start and develop by utilizing

Jerome W. Jones is a Lender Relations Specialist with The U. S. Small Business Administration. Prior to joining the SBA Jones was a Certified Business Advisor with The Ohio Small Business Development Center at Columbus State Community College and Managing Member of The Danash Group, LLC. He has also served as VP of Lending with the Economic and Community Development Institute, the Vice President of Business Services at Telhio Credit Union where he was responsible for the business loan department, Vice President of Community Development Lending for Key Bank, and a senior loan officer for Community Capital Development Corp. Jones is also very active in the Central Ohio community, serving on the United Way of Central Ohio Finance Committee and the City of Columbus Loan Review Committee, as well as having served as a board member of the Columbus Urban League. Jones is a recipient of the SBA Financial Services Champion Award, is a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional, a Certified Business Advisor and attended Jackson State University and Franklin University.

I Need Capital for My Small Business… Now What? Webinar

Wednesday, September 9th – 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Join Heritage Ohio and Economic and Community Development Institute (ECDI) for a discussion of small business training and funding resources. ECDI is a statewide resource for Ohio businesses, providing educational classes to improve small business success and lending programs for startup and expanding businesses.

Aaron Cornell, Director of Community and Rural Lending at ECDI, will discuss some of the challenges that small business owners face, as well as resources available to current and future small business owners to overcome these challenges. Additionally, Aaron will discuss factors that lenders, including banks and other lenders such as ECDI, look for. Participants will leave knowing who they can talk to for small business advice and take away practical tips to increase their chances of receiving funding for their business.

At ECDI, Aaron Cornell helps clients across Ohio access capital for their small businesses. ECDI is a nonprofit micro and small business lender headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, providing lending and training opportunities to business owners not able to access traditional sources of capital. Learn more about ECDI on their website.

Back to Business – Delaware

Main Street Delaware

Right as businesses reopened, downtown Delaware was struck by a flood. This could have been devastating to local businesses, but the Delaware community stepped up to help. Main Street Delaware had raised $3,000 for a COVID-19 relief fund, but after the flood they reopened it and raised a total of $27,000 to support small businesses.

Supporting small businesses is a priority for the Delaware community. Main Street Delaware encourages this by helping businesses with funding, marketing resources and support. Businesses have adapted creatively and work to support downtown and each other during this difficult time. 

“We’ve got a lot of traction on supporting local over the years,” Director Susan Bibler says. “People understand that supporting small businesses and our community is important right now to get through this challenging time.” 

For a week, Main Street gathered volunteers and helped clean up downtown businesses affected by flooding. They collected buckets, mops, bleach, fans, gloves and paper towels in the Main Street office to help businesses get back on their feet. 

The Friday before the initial shutdown, Bibler and a videographer visited downtown businesses. Anticipating the shutdown, they recorded footage — a mug of coffee poured, a pizza pulled out of an oven — to create a reopening video campaign to promote downtown. 

Main Street Delaware also supported downtown businesses by creating signs. With the city, they designed a “Be Aware Delaware” sign that lists precautions and social distancing specific to each business. 

“They had to figure out how to make and open their spaces,” Bibler says. “In the meantime, we figured out some logistics. We could do that for them.” 

Some businesses that creatively adapted to COVID-19 include the event center Gather. Gather hosted private proms for small groups of people, often just one couple. For two hours, the group had the space to themselves with music and lighting to try to capture the high school experience they lost.

Another business sold t-shirts to raise money for downtown businesses. Homestretch Apparel was set to open on the First Friday event in April. The event was cancelled, but the t-shirt business still opened and designed a “Delaware Has Heart” t-shirt and donated $10 of each to support small businesses. 

Bibler says other businesses have switched to and developed their online platforms, scheduled appointments to shop, and implemented safety measures. The downtown has three breweries, and they have started canning or bottling beer and providing orders for pickup once a week. 

Outdoor seating has contributed to the successful reopening of many restaurants. Many of the thirty-two restaurants have patios and wide sidewalks in addition to closed off parking spots. Main Street Delaware has had a DORA in place for a while, but it was open for events only. Now, it’s open Wednesdays through Sundays. 

To promote more social distancing, the farmers market was moved from the downtown to the fairgrounds. Before, people visited downtown businesses as they shopped at the market, so Main Street allowed businesses such as Fresh Start bakery, The Greater Gouda and Olivina Taproom to set up at the farmers market. 

“It’s been a very positive experience once we got the word out,” Bibler says. “People are just happy to see it continue.”  

Another popular downtown event is First Friday. The Main Street Delaware program is 21 years old, so First Fridays are a staple in the community now with different themes each month, late shopping hours and activities for kids. Before the shutdown, each First Friday would attract 5-10,000 visitors downtown. 

“It’s a successful event, and we didn’t want people to lose focus of our downtown,” Bibler says. 

To keep downtown businesses on people’s minds, Bibler decided to host First Friday at home. Families were encouraged to leave chalk drawings all over the downtown and community as a “chalk-it-up” Friday. 

“When everybody was at home, I think families were looking for activities to do,” Bibler says, “People appreciated that as opposed to just not having first Fridays anymore.”

Bibler and the Main Street Delaware team are brainstorming ideas for future virtual events and looking ahead to Christmas. All the plans that have been perfected over the years do not apply anymore, so they are thinking ahead and planning to meet this challenge. 

“The folks who are being proactive and open to new opportunities are going to succeed in the end,” Bibler says. “The community really appreciates the ability to continue shopping and supporting locally.” 

Back to Business – Kent

Main Street Kent

Main Street Kent ordered 96,000 cups for downtown businesses the day after a designated outdoor refreshment area (DORA) was approved. They had pushed DORA for about a year, and COVID-19 finally turned the 31 liquor permit owners’ indifference into excitement. Now, visitors can drink and relax outside downtown businesses. 

During COVID-19, Main Street Kent has helped beautify Kent and connect members to resources such as DORA, discount punch cards, and its social media audience. The businesses have cross-promoted each other with products and social media, and they have shared outdoor seating. 

During quarantine, Off the Wagon gift shop and Kent Cheesemonger created wine, cheese and puzzle boxes and delivered them to nearby homes. Tree City Coffee staff recently posted a picture wearing masks and holding a Belleria pizza box. 

Retailers brainstormed ideas with Main Street Kent at a “Summer Survival” meeting. They agreed more discounts were impossible, but the owner of Tree City Coffee suggested creating a punch card to reward customers for visiting downtown businesses. Milarcik approved the idea and will provide prizes like Main Street Kent mugs. 

Milarcik is also exploring the possibility of students using a small percentage of their Kent State Flash IDs at downtown businesses. 

While many Main Street directors recorded Facebook Live videos to promote members during quarantine, Milarcik interviewed local businesses via Zoom. She also visited Ray’s Place and posted pictures of its owner and trademark moose head wearing masks. The post gained around 200 interactions. 

“If you show people what’s happening, it’ll build confidence,” she says. “People will be more willing to go out knowing that the businesses are being as safe as they can.” 

In addition to DORA, the city council approved the use of abutting property for outdoor seating. For example, One Center yoga and meditation was closed during quarantine, but Scribbles Coffee Shop next door set up chairs and tables in their outdoor area. 

Every year, Kent has an Adopt-a-Spot program with 35 flower beds sponsored by local businesses for $250. The sponsors or Main Street volunteers plant the flowers, and the city upkeeps the beds for the summer. Because of COVID-19, Milarcik started a GoFundMe campaign to avoid asking local businesses for money. They raised a few thousand dollars and were able to plant the flower beds. 

“We were able to let our little guys know that the community has got you covered this year,” she says. 

Downtown Kent is known for events such as art walk, and Milarcik highlights how with DORA, visitors can walk around with a drink. She hopes that in the future, they can host outdoor, socially distanced events like the art walk or a downtown putt-putt tournament. 

“The plan is to get as much outdoor activity and local-supporting-local promotion as possible,” she says.

Throughout recovery and reopening, Milarcik has encouraged the retailers, sharing information and resources, being positive, and thinking long term. 

“Be thoughtful and methodical in making changes, and listen to the medical experts and the guidance of our city and state,” she says. “Think outside the box and rely on your Main Street organization. We are here to help.”  

Back to Business — Tiffin

Main Street Tiffin

When The Renaissance of Tiffin remained open during quarantine, it sold more on a Saturday than it had a whole week pre-shutdown. The bourbon bar has succeeded during COVID-19 not only in providing carryout alcohol, but also by expanding into two more ventures: The Renaissance of Tiffin on Wheels, a lavish party bus, and the Pink Lady, a grilled cheese food truck both opened during quarantine. 

This is one example of the creativity and business savvy of Main Street Tiffin members during COVID-19. Main Street Tiffin has also reflected this attitude. From auctions to storytimes, Main Street Tiffin has worked to connect businesses to resources and support. 

When quarantine began, Main Street Tiffin (the Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership) partnered with the Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce to host an online auction of “firsts.” All proceeds went to the thirty downtown businesses that participated with products and services such as “first drink,” “first haircut” and “first meal indoors” for when the businesses reopen. 

In addition, Main Street Tiffin has held regular meetings where business owners can speak virtually with health care professionals and the Seneca County commissioner. Now, Main Street Tiffin will speak about openings and updates on a Tuesday morning radio show. 

“As a community, we’ve been good at coordinating efforts,” Director Amy Reinhart says. “Destination Seneca County, the chamber, economic development and the mayor — we’ve all been promoting the businesses.” 

With the Tiffin Public Library, Reinhart helped start “Tiffin Tales,” a virtual storytime series. She reached out to downtown business owners, and along with city council members and elected officials, they read storybooks to around 5,000 viewers on Facebook. 

“The businesses said they saw a nice uptick of business on the days that their posts were shared by different places,” Reinhart says of the cross-promotion. “The more of a network we have, the more it supports.” 

On June 22, the city council approved a designated outdoor refreshment area (DORA) for downtown Main Street Tiffin. Main Street Tiffin had worked on this for over a year — prioritizing customers’ safety and needing to provide restaurants with more resources pushed the council to approve a DORA. 

With the city’s park department, Main Street Tiffin brought thirty-two picnic tables downtown and placed them in private and public lots, parking spots and a refurbished alley for people to sit and enjoy their drinks at. The tables are covered in clear plastic with safety measures and instructions listed beneath. Cleaning supplies are provided, and customers have to sanitize and clean their own area. 

As Main Street Tiffin supports its businesses, the businesses have also supported each other. JT’s Bagel Shop, Simply Susan’s boutique and Bailiwicks Coffee Company partnered to provide an Eat, Drink, Shop event every Saturday. Many businesses joined to make Tiffin Strong and Support Tiffin t-shirts to benefit downtown businesses and charities. The Chandelier Community Event Center opened its doors for people to eat downtown in their large indoor space while socially distancing. 

In the next few months, Reinhart hopes to host the downtown Third Thursday event, the first of which would support frontline workers. In August, she hopes to help retailers by hosting a rewind event with a chocolate walk, St. Patty’s 5k and other events the community has missed.

Reinhart encourages her members to reach out to her with any issues or concerns. She says that supporting each other and sharing business updates is vital now. 

“Sharing (updates) among as many people as possible and getting on social media is important,” she says. “Reach out to me when you have struggles or issues — I’ll point you to funding sources, I’ll help you find a loan, we’ll work with bank members. We’ve got a lot of resources at our fingertips.” 

Back to Business – Wooster

Main Street Wooster

Flamingo Jack’s food truck hit the streets during quarantine. This Main Street Wooster business sold its unique comfort food in the parking lot of other brick-and-mortar Wooster businesses. The pink and blue truck has served customers outside Lincoln Way Vineyards, Miss Amy’s Cupcakes and Spoon Deli, attracting customers to these businesses and gaining more customers in turn. 

This cross-promoting is one example of community in Main Street Wooster. During shutdown, Main Street supported businesses in many ways and will explore even more with its grant funding. As stores reopen, Main Street businesses are taking precautions and relying on Wooster’s small business community. 

In early March, Main Street Wooster director Shannon Waller worked with the Convention Visitors Bureau and Chamber of Commerce to create a comprehensive website. It lists open businesses, new hours, and available services and products. It is one place for people to see their options, and administrators continue to update the website. 

“That was the biggest success from the get-go to help people continue their revenue streams,” Waller says. “That was helpful in harnessing that community spirit that was already there.”

It also created consistency between the businesses’ online presences.

Along with restaurants and bars collaborating like Flamingo Jack’s, retailers coordinated their hours to encourage customers to visit each other. 

The Main Street Wooster team encouraged this cooperative spirit in different ways as requirements and circumstances changed. With only two people in the office, Waller and project coordinator John Benko-Scruggs initially went to visit each business themselves. 

“We put on some walking shoes and just pounded the pavement and visited everyone within our area.” Waller says.

When they couldn’t go outside anymore, Waller and Benko-Scruggs contacted the businesses by phone, and left encouraging messages to shuttered businesses. 

“If they were on the cusp of closing, we wanted them to let us know before they made an irrevocable decision,” Waller explains. “Because we knew that there were people in the community who would try to get them through it.” 

When businesses faced challenges, Waller says Main Street Wooster acted as a clearinghouse to explore any loans available; the chamber of commerce and economic development council created a webinar series about funding opportunities. 

Recently, Main Street Wooster wrote encouraging notes to each of the businesses on some old Main Street Wooster postcards Waller found. 

“We got some nice responses from people who were just happy for the mood lift they got when they had to stay at home,” she says.  

 

The pair visited each business again to welcome the owners back as they reopened. Waller asked about any specials or hours they would want Main Street Wooster to share, and they discussed what the businesses were hoping for as they reopened. 

The businesses worked hard to implement all safety procedures, with employees wearing masks, providing hand sanitizer and early hours for people at risk. Some business owners encourage customers to wear masks while others require it. 

“They have family members who are vulnerable or employees with family members who are vulnerable,” Waller says. “They’ve gotten a little bit of push back here and there, but nothing that would intimidate anybody into changing that level of safety.”

Waller explored the possibility of expanding restaurant space with the chamber of commerce, local attorney and restaurateurs. They are hoping to get a designated outdoor refreshment area (DORA) and expand dining areas into closed streets and parking spots. 

In May, Main Street Wooster received the Main Street Grills Fund. The first part of the spending plan is to create training videos with the local hospital and health department. They also want to invite business owners to approach health professionals and adapt their business practices. 

They are also exploring car-related activities for people to have group experiences while social distancing. They are organizing a cruise-in through decorated downtown and residential areas that would award prizes to best business decorations, residential decorations and car decorations. The procession would end at a pop-up movie theater and local food trucks, and admission would be a $15 receipt from a downtown merchant. 

In addition to the training certification, Waller says that all the businesses have at least a time frame and plan for reopening. 

“You don’t get into business without being strong, creative and able to solve problems,” she says. “We’ll get through this.” 

Back to Business – Piqua

Mainstreet Piqua

The Mainstreet Piqua team captures local business owners’ excitement at reopening with a photo series. The smiling business owners stand in the doorways of shops and restaurants holding “OPEN” signs with precautions listed underneath. 

This photo series is one way Piqua businesses have responded and adapted to the restrictions of COVID-19. From encouraging the community on social media to practicing the flexibility typical of small businesses, Mainstreet Piqua has earned both revenue and community support.



The “Open” posters are the combined effort of Mainstreet Piqua, the local chamber of commerce, and the community development organization to prepare businesses to reopen.

“It has generated an incredible amount of traffic on our Facebook page and a lot of love for the businesses,” says Lorna Swisher, executive director of Mainstreet Piqua. “It’s been a very successful way to celebrate the reopening of the businesses.”

Prior to reopening, Swisher says local businesses incorporated local deliveries, online orders and shopping appointments into their business practices. 


“The businesses all pivoted very well and really tried to meet their customers where they were at,” she says. “They just rolled with it and made it work for the customer.”

Swisher and the Mainstreet Piqua team have frequently reached out to their members through phone and email.

“As an organization, our goal is to support our businesses as much as we can and to encourage the community to realize the value that these businesses bring to the community,” she says. “When these businesses go away, a part of our community is lost forever.”

She says the local businesses are supporting each other; because they are independent, they know how difficult it is for a business to start out.

Local business owners are relieved to start opening their doors again. Swisher says people will come in and support the business if they know the business cares for the safety of their customers and employees.

“They all do genuinely care,” she says, “If they’re able to show that, I believe that they will be supported by the residents and visitors to the community.”

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