PROGRAMS DESIGNED FOR YOU
THE DOWNTOWN DIRECTOR PLAYBOOK
This is our newest program and it was specifically designed to help Downtown Directors get more done. Directors have many tasks to juggle. If you are part of a Main Street Program, you have even more on your plate. In this program you get hands on attention from our team to help you organize your efforts when it comes to:
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Assisting small businesses to grow and succeed
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Organizing events, vendors and forms
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Social media updates and scheduling
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Accreditation tasks and timelines
There is no other program like this on the market. We created the program based on over 15 years working with Downtown Directors and serving on community boards. This program gives you access to:
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Our small business strategy and growth plan
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Customized forms and dashboards to help you get more done
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Templates to get organized
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Coaching with our team.
Download our brochure to find out more, then contact us to get started.
Main Street Program Support
We understand the Main Street Program inside and out. We know how difficult it is sometimes to navigate the different requirements, consistently meet accreditation standards, while also trying to juggle community events, demands from downtown businesses and an ever-changing board.
We have developed a number of specific Main Street Program support services to help you run your program more efficiently. These include, but are not limited to:
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Work plan development assistance: We can help you and your board work through the Main Street requirement and set realistic goals that align with the four pillars.
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Visualization and project management for the work plan goals: Filling our your work plan is one thing, communicating it to volunteers and the public is a much harder task. We can help take your work plan and put it in a format that makes it easy to create a timeline for achieving your goals, assign responsibility and communicate your impact to the community.
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Interim Director assistance: Did your current Main Street Director leave suddenly? Don't worry, we can help you keep the program moving along while you hire a new Director. Our monthly Interim Director service will keep your volunteers and board moving forward while you interview and hire a replacement. We can also provide consulting during the interview process to make sure you get the best candidate for the position and lesson turnover in the future.
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Downtown Economic Development consulting: Do you struggle with absentee owners and vacant buildings? Do you see a lot of turnover in your businesses downtown? We can help. We are experts in creating a viable plan for downtown development. We will help you set up basic programs that you can easily maintain going forward that include building inventory and ownership directory, business directory, available properties, and a economic strategy to help reduce turnover going forward.
LUNCHPLATE MARKETING PROGRAM
We are excited about our Lunchplate Marketing program. This program is like nothing else on the market. It is an A to Z program that teaches you about every aspect of marketing and walks you through how to apply to your business.
The program consists of small lessons that cover 7 different components of marketing including; website design, social media, advertising, PR, collateral, branding and advertising. Participants can complete the program in less than 30 minutes a day, or as we like to say, over their lunch break.
LICENSE OUR CONTENT
This program is a great tool for towns to use and hold their own workshops. Any municipality, member organization or chamber can license our program and then use the content to train business owners or their members in how to market and grow their business.
We have different licensing levels to fit your budget.
Benefits include:
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Ability to host multiple workshops or group classes throughout the year.
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Professional training by our staff on how to deliver the content.
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Dedicated support throughout the year, when you need it.
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Access to our online Facebook group for collaboration, ideas and additional tutorials.
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Discounted programs for members or class attendees for our online program for an entire year.
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Unlimited updates and access to new courses as they are released.
additional workshops & coaching Programs
These classes were custom-made for business professionals, rural communities and Main Street towns. They have been crafted to give you the tools to be successful in presenting your ideas, creating a sense of place, promoting your assets and attractions, assisting your businesses with marketing, and perhaps most of all finding the time you need to get it all done.
Courses are aimed at both community staff as well as local businesses and are a perfect fit for organizations like Main Street and county chambers. Topics to choose from include:
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Board Development and Goal Setting
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Time Management and Organization
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Operational Efficiency - policies, procedures, etc.
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Marketing Your Community or Business - developing a marketing plan
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Online Visibility - Google My Business, social media, and website development
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Effective Communication and How to Present Your Ideas
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Brand Development and Implementation
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Build a Blog - the easy way
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Canva Workshop
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Creating a Wix website + SEO Optimization
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Overcoming Your Fear of Public Speaking
The Team at Small Town Soul has been an absolute pleasure to work with, they understand the challenges faced by small towns and have afforded Rutherfordton a new way to market and grow our online presence that breaks traditional market firm molds. They get Main Street and they genuinely want the Town and our business community to thrive.