Downtown Construction, Rebirth & Small Business in Grand Forks, ND

The first of two interesting articles I found while googling small businesses / small town survival / creative ideas for communities on Christmas night.....I have insomnia which leads me to find fascinating things on the web at odd hours. 😅🙄

This one struck a chord with me as I've recently seen posts regarding construction in Main Street/downtown areas which appear to drag on for a lengthy amount of time. While I'm sure these projects are needed, necessary repairs or upgrades, the disruption to local businesses can be significant and long-lasting. I can't help but wonder what it takes to ensure such a process goes smoothly? How can local leaders take interest in the retail point of view; are town officials considering the business owners perspective and working together to minimize upheaval? What are the long-term goals for areas slated for redevelopment, and is there effort made to establish good communication? Dialog and planning is such an essential component for building good working relationships - and yet it's one often overlooked. Have you had your business affected by upgrades on nearby streets, or lived through a process which changed the landscape of your community? And if so, what did you observe about the process and which tools or steps helped facilitate a smooth journey during construction?

'Small Businesses are in Crisis': Grand Forks Business Owner Urges City Leaders to Step In


"The downtown Grand Forks boutique Voxxy is no more. Its owner is urging city leaders to get involved and said downtown construction 'ravaged a lot of businesses"


The store mentioned in the article is Voxxy, "a women’s clothing boutique located in vibrant and beautiful downtown Grand Forks, ND. Founded in 2015, Voxxy believes that fashion is a powerful form of expression, beauty and love."

Additional perspective: while reading up on some of the growth and changes taking place in Grand Forks, North Dakota, I found this piece by the Herald editorial board; a sharp reminder that no matter how much may seem to stand in the way of small business, if we are truly committed to our independents then we will find a way to support them.

"Our view: Shop local. Fly local. Attend local."

What it really comes down to is this: Use it or lose it.

Support Your Community | Holiday Choices 2019

It's so easy to look past our local businesses sometimes, thinking perhaps that they "have always been around" and thus will continue to be. * News Flash * that can't happen without you and me - and our families and friends. Don't put off saving the parts of your neighborhood you want to keep around.

So How WAS Your Small Business Saturday?

6:00PM pm on November 30th: I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that many of you are having a great day. Did you advertise or run a special campaign for #SmallBusinessSaturday? Participate in a Main Street or community-wide celebration?

"Fall in Love with Your Independently-Owned Businesses this October"

Supporting small businesses is one of the best ways you can give back to your community. Share the love of locally-owned and beloved places this month - download these images to share on your social pages or display in a shop window.

    

Share the "Love of Local" | It's A Great Time To Be An Ambassador

Have you ever thought about how much could be accomplished if we each chose to make a difference? Shifting our daily decisions to actions which would positively impact our communities - multiplied over and over - could be huge!

Spending Locally Isn't Just About Products

"Back into the vault" are a series of posts we're currently re-sharing on our Facebook page (in some cases additional comments on an older post were added to the topic, or we figured out something else to say about a particular subject). As we dredge up a few things up from our archives, the post below was from November 8, 2015 as we saw some suggestions from the Monona County Economic Development Partnership in Onawa, Iowa. What we love is expanding out the concept of "spending locally" to include services - the idea that not everything purchased must be a product or a thing.

This Summer, Get Away From The Familiar Places and "Explore Local"

"Thinking outside the box" ~ it's something we talk a lot about on our Facebook page, because to me it seems that without an open mind you could lose out on chance to do unusual and different things. Perhaps that idea could be included in your summertime plans when deciding where to shop, dine or have fun.

“They Said You Mattered”

While the title of this blog post is admittedly, a bit heavy on the doom and gloom vibe, I stuck with it since the message itself is pretty darn important. Without a doubt, I believe this simple, completely non-typical poem of sorts will resonate with many of you - the hard-working, caring, dedicated and involved small business owners.

Seven Reasons Why Supporting Local Business is Good for Your Community

"When deciding where to spend your hard-earned dollars on tonight’s dinner or a gift for a friend, consider the benefits of turning to local, independently owned businesses within your community." The following blog post was found on and written by Mass.Gov Blog, The Official Blog of the Website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Despite it being a few years old, when I see content which remains relevant to the choices facing consumers today, I try to share it with you, our readers.

Share the Love for Dad by Spending Where You Live

Father's Day is just around the corner and it's yet another opportunity to make choice that we'll be happy with later on. Spending locally is an often overused phrase (I admit, I'm just as guilty of repeating it far too much), when what I believe we really mean to convey is that there are choices....and then there are better choices.

Whether you decide on a morning brunch to enjoy with your dad or grandfather, or perhaps get the family together for an afternoon trip to a out into the country to enjoy ice cream at a family-run dairy farm, the gift of an ultra-clean vehicle provided by your locally-owned and operated auto care shop or a fabulous dinner at the best indie seafood shack around, there are ALWAYS so many ways to pick a nearby place to support.

We think you pop would be thrilled you thought of independent businesses with REAL FLAVOR, that are owned and operated by REAL PEOPLE!

Start now and get going - to your independent retailers. Don't miss out the opportunity to celebrate the places and people you love in your hometown.

It doesn't matter how much you are spending - if you are spending with an independent rather than a chain store you are choosing to support local business and to keep money in your community. "Be a part of the place where you live" - because local is the smarter option!

The commitment to our towns, neighborhoods and cities happens with each choice we make. Consider the effects of spending in your community where money works for the whole area, rather than being funneled away to a corporation in another state.

P.S. Your dad messaged us. He asks that you put your spending for his special day towards supporting the mom and pop businesses in the local community where you live. 😀 Have a great Father's Day!

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An Independent Bookstore Closes: The People And Places That Matter Most

I have something in my eyes I guess, after reading this article .....  How will anyone know the value of such a place unless they have been there.....my goodness. What a loss. The owner wants to retire, and I get that. But the memories and experience that were offered for so many years....it cannot be replaced, recreated or duplicated. And that is why I love, use and spend locally every chance I get.

Photo via http://www.ladowntownnews.com

"Closing Our Small Business" (By the Owner of a independent Candy Shop)

This was written in 2014 by a local business owner and poignantly speaks to the sadness of closing a beloved shop after almost twenty years. 

What Could We Add, Introduce or DO to Bring a Better Message?

Here is what I just Googled (see search results here).......and surprisingly, many, MANY of these images are ours. Many - meaning perhaps, that we have generated a LOT of content over the five or six years we've been around. Does anyone ever notice, follow or share on any other network?