Our Mission
At Main Street Matters, we believe that strong main streets are the backbone of every thriving community. We are dedicated to supporting local main street entrepreneurship and fostering community engagement to create a sustainable and prosperous local economy.
Our Services
At Main Street Matters, we work with a large number of community partners to ensure that their local main street businesses succeed. From local government and economic development to local BIAs and the small business owners themselves, we offer the support and expertise every community needs to create a space for entrepreneurs to thrive.
Local Government
Local governments play a crucial role in supporting main streets by providing resources and support services to help them thrive. They also lead or support the creation of an economic development strategy that generates commercial and investment opportunities, provides necessary revenue to maintain, grow, and improve local infrastructure and community services, and significantly boosts the economic prosperity of their community.
Let Main Street Matters help you by providing the consultation services, expertise, data analyses, and support services best suited to support the economic impact of your Main Streets. We can assist in the following areas:
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Defining and measuring the economic impact of place (Main Street community)
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BIA Establishment
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BIA Mandate Review & Assessment
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Business Retention & Expansion Surveying
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Business Retention & Expansion Action Plan Development
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Permits & Licensing Reviews & Assessments
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Main Street business By-law Reviews and Assessments
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Home-based business By-law Review and Assessment
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Red Tape Reduction processes for Entrepreneurs
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Main Street Community placemaking activities and activators
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Creation and implementation of Main Street business eco-systems and programs
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Main Street Vacancy reduction
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Economic Development
Local Economic Development offices support Main Street recovery and resiliency by investing in community assets, fostering accessible entrepreneurial ecosystems, and promoting an inclusive sense of place that retains and attracts residents, thereby increasing social capital.
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We provide you with the consultation services, expertise, data analyses, strategic planning, and support services to build sustainable and prosperous Main Streets in the following areas:
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Defining and measuring the economic impact of place (Main Street community)
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Main Street Retail Mix identification and review
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Main Street Vacancy reduction
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Main Street business recruitment
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Business Retention & Expansion Surveying to identify local need for business development, investment and job creation
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Business Retention & Expansion Action Plan Development
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Main Street Economic Impact Surveying and Measurement
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Main Street Community placemaking activities and activators
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Main Street Job Creation and Hiring processes and impacts
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Local Main Street entrepreneurial ecosystem creation and enhancement (activators, training, coaching, mentorship, networking)
Business Improvement Associations
BIAs collaborate with local business people, commercial property owners and tenants and, with the support of the municipality, organize, finance, and carry out physical improvements and promote economic development in their district. They are responsible for
the ‘collective good’ of a Main Street, not to make any one business better, but to make the area a better place to do business.
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Let Main Street Matters work with you to meet and exceed the expectations of your mandate and your community members. We provide consultation services, expertise, data analyses, and support services best suited to support your individual needs. We help local Main Street communities:
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Identify Community Analytics
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Develop Customer Segmentation Strategies
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Increase Customer Engagement
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Define Boundaries
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Reduce Vacancies
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Increase Stakeholder Collaboration
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Review Current Operations
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Develop Strategic Plans
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Engage Staff and Board Members
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Plan for Growth
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Measure Economic Impact
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Seek out Grants & Funding
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Write Grant proposals
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Develop Local Placemaking Opportunities
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Market Main Street Value
Local Entrepreneurs
We believe that small business is key to building a strong local economy. That's why we work directly with local independent business owners to help them start, manage, and grow their businesses on your main streets.
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Services we can provide to Main Street small business owners include:
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1:1 Small Business Coaching
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Retail Consulting
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Restaurant Consulting
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Business Assessments
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Business Start-up consulting
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Business Growth Consulting
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Marketing Consulting
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Digital Business & Technical Consulting
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Recruiting, Hiring and Training Consulting
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Costing & Pricing Assessments
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Mentorship
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Online & In-person Training sessions (Practical How-to)
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Access to resources, worksheets & guides to start, manage and grow a business
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Mastermind groups (industry-specific) for owners to meet, learn and share with like-minded business owners
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Virtual Networking events
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Low-cost marketing & business services
Services are provided through membership packages or fee-for-service arrangements through a community organization or directly with the small business owner.
Our Reach
At Main Street Matters, our consultants are proud to have helped countless local community organizations and businesses succeed and grow. Our impact can be seen in the thriving main streets and vibrant communities we work in. Our consultants have worked with members from the following organizations:
Join Our Community
At Main Street Matters, we believe that a strong community is the foundation of a thriving local economy. Join our community today and start building a better future for your Main Streets and your community.
Collaboration & Support
Networking
Education & Resources