Monroe County to Host Meeting on Financing Initiative for Smaller Firms

Small businesses (especially start-ups) and financial institutions are invited to a presentation regarding how they can work together to increase economic growth in Monroe County utilizing Governor Pat Quinn’s small business financing initiative, Advantage Illinois. The presentation takes place on January 20th from 10:30 a.m. to 12 Noon on the second floor of the Monroe County Courthouse in Waterloo.

The Advantage Illinois initiative will leverage $78 million in funding from the federal State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) to increase investments and ease the credit crunch for small businesses. The program is meant to encourage institutional lending to small businesses and also provides a mechanism for the state to leverage venture capital for high-growth enterprises.

Advantage Illinois is comprised of the following bank programs: the Capital Access Program (CAP), the Collateral Support Program, and the Participation Loan Program (PLP). The State administers the Invest Illinois Venture Fund (IIVF).

The presentation is open to the public. Sponsors include the Southwest Region Office of Regional Outreach for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, University of Illinois Extension and the Monroe County Economic Development Council.

State Representative Jerry F. Costello II will be in attendance to lend his insights and participate in the discussion.

For more information, contact University of Illinois Extension Community and Economic Development Educator Nora Feuquay at (618) 939-8681 x.309.

Where Was Piggott's Fort?

In 1783, James Piggot erected a fort at the foot of the bluff, a mile and a half west of Columbia where a small creek, called by the French the Grand Ruisseau, emerged from the bluff. This fort was home to 14 families--the largest settlement at that time along the entire Cahokia-Kaskaskia Trail--creating the nucleus for the earliest American settlement of the Illinois territory.  It was a celebrated place in those early times, known as Piggot's Fort.

While many believe the stone foundation across from Sackman Field at 11832 Bluff Rd. to be a remnant of Piggot’s Fort, the exact location is open for discussion. Members of the Illinois War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, Columbia Historical Society, Columbia Heritage & Preservation Commission, and the Sand Bank School Historical Society have joined forces to try and settle the question during this coming year. As a first step, a forum will be held from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on November 30th at Sand Bank School, located just north of the currently designated Piggot's Fort site.

Anyone interested in the history of the area should plan to stop by and share information with early Illinois settlement historian Bill Wilson, Monroe County historian and author Gene Haller, and other experts.

Columbia Wins 'Active Living' Recognition

Trailnet, the premier non-profit organization developing bike and pedestrian trails, saving green spaces and advocating alternative transportation across the St. Louis metropolitan area, has chosen the City of Columbia as recipient of the 2011 Active Living Award recognizing achievement by a municipality.  The annual awards celebrate the individuals, nonprofits, municipalities, and businesses who are engaged in unique and sustainable efforts to incorporate physical activity into everyday living.

On September 20, Columbia will be recognized at the awards ceremony held at the Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person. Registrations can be made online through the Trailnet website.

Nominated by Scott Rodemich of Marketicity--formerly a member of the Play Commission--Trailnet recognizes Columbia's commitment to encouraging walking and biking.  Despite the economic downturn and severely restricted revenues, Columbia's leaders continue to make investments in projects and planning that continues to build community momentum, such as:

• Construction of a new sidewalk along Temple, connecting Main St. with Parkview School and the city's largest park;
• Installation of fixed speed feedback signs at two key crosswalks on Main St.;
• Development and annual expansion of a School Travel Plan through the Safe Routes to School program;
• Updating the City's Open Space, Bike & Greenway Alignment Plan;
• Creating a Play Commission and winning recognition for two years in a row as the St. Louis region's solitary Playful City USA;
• Initiating a new master planning process for a 33.8 acre park in the Admiral Trost Development Subdivision

In Columbia, Volunteers Are Tops!

Dozens of community volunteers turned out last evening to celebrate Columbia's designation by the State of Illinois as the inaugural winner of the "Outstanding Community Volunteerism" award.

As pictured at right, volunteers gathered at Tiny's Pub & Grill to raise a glass and cheer one another while highway signs announcing Columbia's designation were unveiled on Highway 3 entering town from both directions.  "Volunteers are the heartbeat of a community," said Community & Economic Development Director Paul Ellis at the event, "and in Columbia, that heartbeat is particularly strong."

The "Outstanding Community Volunteerism" award is part of the Governor’s Hometown Awards program, presented continuously since 1983, which gives formal recognition to those who have answered contributed to their community’s quality of life. 

Senator Durbin Proposes Deficit Reduction, Main Street 'Fairness'

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin met with leaders from across Southwestern Illinois this morning for a first round of discussion on how to balance the federal budget and help spur economic recovery on Main Street. The meeting, held in Collinsville, was organized by the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois and drew about 70 participants from Madison, Monroe & St. Clair counties.

Durbin—the second highest-ranking member of the Senate and a member of the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (aka the “Deficit Reduction Commission”)—focused his remarks on strategies he advocates to reduce the $14 trillion federal deficit. The overall approach, as he sees it, is to balance investments against spending cuts until the recession ends, then to aggressively attack spending cuts. Durbin is forthright about the scale of that task, observing that the nation will have to “get radical” and that “we cannot balance the budget without dealing with the rapidly rising costs of healthcare” despite many entrenched interests to the contrary.

Speaking to a group composed largely of businesspeople and local government officials, Durbin cited two specific pieces of legislation that he is pushing forward to help support economic recovery:

• Legislation to monitor and reduce the interchange fees imposed upon businesses by financial institutions for the use of debit cards;
• The Main Street Fairness Act, which would levy sales tax upon Internet sales—Durbin contends that this measure would “level the playing field” for brick-and-mortar retailers and infuse revenue back to state and local governments.

Fielding questions from the audience, Durbin reiterated his support for a “reasonable approach” to maintaining levees and noted that the latest version of the Congressional budget cuts funding for the Army Corps of Engineers.

Monroe County Forum to Feature Area Success Stories

Representatives from four area businesses will share their insights into not only surviving in this economy, but on improving and expanding their businesses at the Monroe County Economic Development Council's Annual Forum on Wednesday, February 16th.

Columbia Centre and Mokka Kaffeehaus, both of Columbia, are sponsors for the Forum.

Serving on the panel are:

• Steve Carter, Principal, Knight Hawk Coal;
• Jared Nobbe, Sales Manager, Wm. Nobbe & Co.;
• Mary Kay Prader, Owner and Executive Director, Lighthouse Child Care Centers;
• Bill Rebholz, Executive Director, Monroe County Surgical Center

The panel will be moderated by Bob Lewis, President/Principal for Development Strategies, Inc., a St. Louis company that specializes in economic research and planning.

These four companies share in common the ability to be adaptable, to focus on customer needs, and remain stable and even grow at a time when other companies are struggling.

For example:

• Monroe County Surgical Center recently broke ground on a new out-patient surgical center, scheduled to open later this year.
• Knight Hawk Coal has grown from 15 employees to 350 and dramatically increased its coal extraction.
• Wm. Nobbe has increased their Professional Landscape Contractor business over the last several years by partnering with John Deere Landscapes Company.
• Lighthouse Child Care Centers have steadily added new locations and new types of services to their portfolio.

Forum attendees will have a chance to ask questions of the panelists after the moderated part of the program.

The event will be held at The Falls Reception & Conference Center in Columbia. Doors open at 7 a.m. and the event will conclude around 9 a.m. Seating for the Forum is limited, so advanced registration is requested by February 11th. Registration cost (including breakfast) is $20 per person, either through the University of Illinois Extension website or by phone at (618) 939-3434.

Turning Over a 'New Leaf' on Main Street

Historic Main Street Columbia's newest business will put customers' health in good hands and help them to turn over a "new leaf" as regards their future health.

New Leaf Massage Therapy is now open at 808 S. Main St., Suite 5. Licensed massage therapist Nicholas Matzenbacher offers Swedish/Relaxation Massage, Therapeutic/Deep Tissue Massage, Aromatherapy Massage & Pre-Natal Massage. Connie VanTassel offers facials and waxing.

To make appointments for any of these services, call New Leaf at (618) 281-8669.

'Team Columbia' Promotes Community With Midwest Retailers, Developers

Three Columbia boosters spent the latter part of last week working to tell the community's story and attract new retail and new development into the city.

The venue was the Chicago Deal Making event, a trade show that assembled more than 2,000 developers, retailers, real estate brokers and city officials for the express purpose of making connections and facilitating new deals.  The annual event is sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers, the global trade association of the shopping center industry.

The City of Columbia had a booth at the event this year, staffed by Paul Ellis, Director of Community & Economic Development.  He was supported by Craig Hiser, owner of CMJP Properties (a brokerage based in Columbia), and David Wittenauer, vice president for NAI DESCO (a regional brokerage with an office in Columbia).  While the two brokers have business interests expanding beyond the city limits, all three worked together as "Team Columbia" to identify and, subsequent to the show, follow up with potential new development.

Columbia was only one of several Illinois cities exhibiting at the show, which drew participants from across the Midwest.  From Southwest Illinois, the City of Mascoutah and Village of New Baden also sent representatives who worked the show.

Columbia Wins Inaugural Home Town Award

The City of Columbia yesterday received the inaugural award in a new category established for the Governor's Home Town Award program to recognize the community's outstanding volunteer spirit.

Mayor Kevin Hutchinson and representatives from five local volunteer efforts accepted the first-ever "Outstanding Community Volunteerism" award as part of a ceremony held at the Governor's Mansion in Springfield. Governor Pat Quinn announced 26 projects as 2010 Governor’s Home Town Award recipients. The awards recognize the contributions of thousands of Illinois’ volunteers for their hard work and dedication towards improving their communities.

Projects recognized in Columbia's award were the following:

Art on the Bluffs
The Art on the Bluffs Art Walk was created to highlight Columbia's art and architecture during the community's sesquicentennial. Ten months of meetings culminated in historic Main Street's transformation to an "Art Walk" staffed by more than 100 volunteers. Sixty‐seven professional artists lined the street both outside and in thirty‐one locations. The Kid's Area was a great success, as children were encouraged to actively participate in creating a variety of artwork, including using recycled materials as well as painting a large mural. The broad range of artists, musicians, and dancers assured all of the 2,500 patrons attending would find something of interest and enjoy the Art Walk.

Friends of the Library
In 10 years Columbia's population has doubled, causing an increasingly cramped children's area in the Library. The Friends of the Library recognized the need and decided to hold a Holiday House Tour to raise funds for additional space. Volunteers solicited hosts for the tour and goods for the raffle, prepared refreshments for the registration point, created promotional materials, and sold tickets. The Tour raised $3,597. The funds provided a larger space for the children's area with fixtures scaled to their sizes and needs.

Kiwanis Car Show
The Annual Columbia Kiwanis Car Show has evolved into a yearly event with 100% of the proceeds used to fund the Kiwanis Educational Enrichment Program at Parkview Elementary. Better known as K.E.E.P., the program fills a gap in the educational process for at risk youth between the 2nd and 5th grades who were in danger of falling behind in reading skills. $5,000 has been donated annually for after‐school tutoring. The success of the program has been determined through increased standardized test scores in reading. Consequently, the school district worked the reading program into their budget. Now funds from the K.E.E.P. program assist in tutoring in mathematics.

Besides the long‐term educational benefits to the area children, more than 250 cars, music, and good food combine for the largest show in the area.

Play Commission
When Columbia was named "A Playful City" in a national recognition program for communities creating an agenda for play, they celebrated by having "A Play Day". The free day was full of activities and fun including Frisbee Golf, Punt/Pass/Kick, Parachute Toss, Yarn Spider Web, Recycle City and many more. A scavenger hunt was held to help participants "discover" Bolm‐Schuhkraft Memorial City Park. Attendees had the opportunity to become "Park Pals", a program to engage young citizens to read and obey park rules, control litter and report abuse or safety issues.

Sand Bank School Restoration
The historic Sand Bank schoolhouse would likely have been demolished if not for the efforts of volunteers. The one‐room white clapboard school, built in 1855 was in poor repair and up for sale. A retired high school principal and his friend purchased the school. Carpenters donated their skills to straighten the eastern wall of windows and reconstructed the foundation of the old coal shed. A local philanthropist provided funds to meet the immediate need of roof repair. The Monroe County Highway Department cleared the overgrowth of weeds that had overtaken the site. Others donated the septic system, concrete, and window glazing.

An innovative partnership was created with the high school Construction Trades classes. Students gutted the inside of the building, helped run electricity, installed plasterboard, and assisted in the heating and cooling system. The students learned valuable skills through hands‐on experience as well as helped to save a historic icon of education.

Monroe County Can Build On Its Assets to Create Jobs, Schultz Says

Monroe County has many community assets in which it can take pride--now it's time to capitalize on those assets.  Such was the message delivered this morning by small town economic development guru Jack Schultz to a packed assembly of local business and community leaders.

During the course of his talk, Schultz highlighted Monroe County's "great prospects"--citing the second lowest poverty rate in the State of Illinois, its generally clean and prosperous appearance, and quaint Main Streets in Columbia and Waterloo--against the reality that 9,000 residents (62%) drive out of county every day to work, one of the highest rates anywhere. Creating more businesses and more jobs to keep those commuters closer to home "isn't just an opportunity for business growth and increased tax revenues," Schultz observed, "but it's also an opportunity to get more people involved in Little League, schools and other community activities."

His challenge to those assembled was to take the same kind of vision that drove relocation of the Village of Valmeyer following catastrophic floods in 1993 and to apply that kind of thinking to other economic developoment initiatives.  Schultz's talking points were supported with success stories he has culled from small towns across America from Leavenworth, WA to Lebanon, NH.

Schultz, the award-winning author of Boomtown USA: The 7-1/2 Keys to Big Success in Small Towns, was the keynote speaker for a forum organized by the Monroe County Economic Development Council.  The Council has also formed a LinkedIn group ("Know Jack") to keep up discussion around the strategies Schultz shared today.

Columbia Seeks New Business at Midwest Trade Show

The City of Columbia participated in Kansas City this week in a trade show sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), the global trade association for the retail industry.  The Heartland States Idea Exchange, which migrates each year between Omaha, Kansas City and St. Louis, offers one of the Midwest's best opportunities to learn about trends in retailing and to meet national and regional retailers who may be looking to expand into new locations.

Paul Ellis, Columbia's Director of Community & Economic Development, attended the event for the second year running.  This year, he was prepared with display materials and virtual magazines (on attractive mini-CDs) offering economic and community information. About 250 businesspeople attended the event--roughly 20% retailers, 60% brokers (some of whom were representing retailers), and 20% representatives from cities like Columbia and Grain Valley, MO. The event included workshops, roundtable discussions and an afternoon deal-making session with about 60 exhibitors.

Columbia's results from the Kansas City event include leads from a number of restaurants, sporting goods stores, discount merchandisers and even a national bookstore.  Ellis will now be working with local real estate professionals and building owners to turn these leads into tenants.

Small Town Guru Jack Schultz to Visit Columbia February 8th

Jack Schultz, nationally acclaimed author of Boomtown USA: The 7 ½ Keys to Big Success in Small Towns, will be the keynote speaker at a special forum for the Monroe County Economic Development Council (MCEDC) on Monday, February 8th at The Falls Reception and Conference Center in Columbia.

The forum is sponsored by Midland States Bank. Doors will open at 7:00 a.m. and the event will conclude around 9:00 a.m.

Schultz, founder and CEO of Agracel, Inc., an industrial development firm specializing in rural America, is a top economic development authority on small towns just like those in Monroe County. His book has already inspired many communities to find their own vision.

The Boomtown USA project took more than three years of research beginning with 15,800 small towns across the country. Schultz narrowed the list down to a group of 397 outstanding small towns he calls "agurbs"--communities that were growing and offering opportunities to their young people while others were turning into ghost towns. His research has been featured in USA Today, Forbes and BusinessWeek (among others), and he has been a guest on numerous radio and television programs including Bloomberg Business Television.

Schultz has taken his message on the road to more than 300 communities in 44 states since 2004. In 2005, Schultz was named Ernst & Young’s Illinois Entrepreneur of the Year and in 2006 he received the Beta Gamma Sigma Medallion for Entrepreneurship.

His company, Agracel, has completed projects in 14 states, owning seven million square feet of industrial space, which has facilitated more than 5,000 jobs. The company owns 15 business parks and a short line railroad.

At the upcoming Monroe County forum, Schultz will talk about the characteristics of towns that are successful as well as the importance of encouraging an entrepreneurial approach in the community. He will also share reasons why it is vital to support local businesses and ideas about how small towns can survive and thrive during hard economic times.

Attendees can register for the event by going to the U of I Extension-Monroe County website, via email or by calling 618-939-3434.

Discover Columbia's Parks on September 19th

A scavenger hunt discovering Columbia’s parks, a variety of games, and kids’ art projects are just a few of the hands-on interactive activities planned for Play Day 2009 in Bolm-Schuhkraft Park (known to many residents as the “city park”) on Saturday, September 19th. Visitors will enter the park and rediscover play.

Created and hosted by the Columbia Play Commission, in collaboration with KaBOOM!, and with funding from the Kiwanis Club of Columbia, the Monroe County YMCA, the Columbia Rotary Club, Traube Tent Company and the City of Columbia, the free event is designed to discover the fun, education and recreation available in the city’s many public recreational areas and playspaces. Envisioned as a day to play by organizers, the event will feature interactive stations that will introduce visitors to the themes and activities found in Columbia’s parks, many of which are little known--or completely unknown--to many residents.

Events run from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. that day. Admission is free, and this is a rain or shine event.

“It’s really just a fun afternoon to get out and discover our parks,” states John Traube, chair for the Play Commission. “Our hope is that families and kids of all ages will come for the fun and leave with a better appreciation for where to spend unstructured afternoons year-round.”

KaBOOM! recognized Columbia this year as a “Playful City USA,” a national recognition honoring cities and towns across the nation committed to taking action for play. Columbia was the only community in the St. Louis metropolitan area so honored.

More details on this event are available via the Play Commission’s blog.

Miller Fiege Home Open This Wednesday

The Columbia Heritage and Preservation Commission (CHPC) welcomes the public to an open house at the Miller-Fiege Home this Wednesday from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

The open house is being held partly to inform the public of the City of Columbia’s intent to designate this home as a local historic landmark, which has been recommended by CHPC. Comments about this proposed action may be shared during the open house or submited in writing at City Hall no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26th. CHPC has also planned this event as a celebration of the building, the families who have lived here, and Columbia’s heritage in general.

This home was built in 1850 adjacent to a blacksmith shop run by P.W. Miller (the shop was located approximately where The Medicine Shoppe stands today). The shutters on the home, iron fence surrounding it, and the pump out back all date from this period. Miller purchased the house in 1857, and it remained in his family’s hands until the death of his descendent, Winnifred Fiege, last year; subsequently, the City of Columbia purchased the home and its many antiques, and the home is now being prepared as a historical museum for the whole community to enjoy.

Report from Chicago

City of Columbia staff joined more than 1600 other economic development professionals this week in participating in the 2009 National Main Street Conference at the historic Palmer House hotel in Chicago. This year's event focused on the emerging role of social media in supporting revitalization efforts across the country.

One highlight of the event was a rousing address by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, who affirmed the vital role that Main Street programs play in stimulating his state's economy. Other highlights included:

• A "nuts and bolts" presentation on how best to plan, fund, facilitate and evaluate a successful streetscape project, offered by Donna Dow, manager for the Main Street program in Durant, Oklahoma;
• Advice from Tom McGilloway, a landscape architect, on how to make the best use of open spaces like parks and trails;
• A new approach to facade renovation that restores whole blocks at one time, presented by Randy Wilson, director of design services for the Mississippi Main Street Association;
• "Every Business Has a Billboard," a session led by Main Street Arkansas Small Business Consultant Mark Miller, that tied signage and advertising, and social media into a strategic bundle;
• Great new ideas for promoting restaurants, boutiques and antique shops presented by Blagica Bottigliero, a social media consultant.

Columbia's Civic Progress Committee will enjoy an overview of these presentations and more at their next meeting.

Midnight Fireworks to Mark Columbia's Sesquicentennial

Columbia’s 150th anniversary will start, literally, with a blast when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. A fireworks display will be ignited from the top of Cherry Street overlooking the city, emergency sirens will be sounded and church bells will ring to mark the beginning of the sesquicentennial year. Residents are encouraged to join in the celebration by making their own noise with car horns, bells and noisemakers.

A number of events are being planned throughout the year in celebration of Columbia's milestone year as a city.

District Reports $12.8M in New Development, Rising Values

Columbia's Admiral Parkway Redevelopment Area has used Tax Increment Financing (TIF) successfully to spur growth in the district, leading to more than $12,800,000 in new construction in the past eighteen months. That's the message members of the Joint Review Board--a multi-agency group that annually monitors operations of the district--heard at today's meeting.

Construction of Maverick Technologies' World Headquarters, a new branch for Reliance Bank, and the Hampton Inn account for the sizable increase in capital improvements in the district, which was cited in 1995 as "blighted" by the Columbia City Council. The value of the new CVS Pharmacy building currently under construction, was not included in this total.

Despite the national downturn in development, City staff and private real estate brokers are continuing to market available properties in the area. Several of the projects undertaken in recent years, following what many see as the successful turnaround of the district, have been funded without further participation in TIF. Property values in the area have risen much faster than overall inflation, as well.

TIF can allow financially strapped local governments to make the improvements like new roads or sewers, or provide incentives to attract new businesses or help existing businesses stay and expand, without tapping into general municipal revenues or raising taxes. Local taxing bodies make a joint investment in the redevelopment of an area with the intent that any short-term gains be reinvested and leveraged so that all the taxing bodies will receive larger financial gains in the future. The funds for this investment come from future tax revenues not otherwise expected to occur--revenues which are generated by increased public and private investment in identified, underperforming, areas.

Tax Increment Board Meets Monday

The Admiral Parkway Redevelopment Area Joint Review Board (JRB) will meet next Monday, December 29th. As provided by Illinois state statute, the JRB is made up of one representative from each taxing authority affected by a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district along with at least one member of the general public.

The JRB must meet annually to review the progress of the redevelopment plan for the TIF district. The City is also required to maintain a registry of individuals interested in the process and make them aware of the annual JRB meeting, the date for which is different each year pending release of fund accounting to the State of Illinois.

TIF calls for local taxing bodies to make a joint investment in the development or redevelopment of an area with the intent that any short term gains be reinvested and leveraged so that all the taxing bodies will receive larger financial gains in the future. The funds for this investment do not come from current revenues, but from future tax revenues not otherwise expected to occur. These new revenues are generated by increased public and private investment in identified, underperforming, areas.

The Admiral Parkway Redevelopment Area, Columbia's TIF district, has been in existence since 1995. Recent developments include construction of the world headquarters for Maverick Technologies, opening of a branch of Reliance Bank, opening of the new Hampton Inn (Columbia's first hotel) and ongoing construction of a new CVS Pharmacy location.

The meeting begins at 2:00 p.m. in the second-floor Auditorium at Columbia City Hall, 208 South Rapp Ave.

Small Business Seminars Coming to Monroe County

The national news continues to be full of talk about various types of “bailouts”--generally, for big business. But how do small businesses gather the resources they need to weather the current economic storm?

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is hosting a special seminar for current and prospective small business owners next month to answer this question. “Small Business Bailout?” is a free, one-hour presentation on resources available through the Illinois Entrepreneurship Network (IEN) and other government agencies, economic development organizations, chambers of commerce and similar groups. The seminar is set for Thursday, December 4th, beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the Monroe County Annex building in Waterloo (901 Illinois Ave.). There is no cost to attend, but preregistration is required to make sure enough materials are available for all attendees.

In addition, a “Small Business Basics” workshop will be held from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. in the same location. This two-hour course covers the basics of starting and operating a business in Illinois. To register for either seminar, or for more information, call the Illinois SBDC at (618) 650-2929 or (618) 482-8330.­­

SBDC is funded by the Small Business Administration (SBA), Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Services available through SBDC include free, confidential, one-on-one sessions with trained business consultants; marketing and business plan development; and cost analysis.

Business Owners Told: 'Stay the Course!'

Economic development staff from the City of Columbia took part this afternoon in a national webinar on "Thriving in a Slow Economy"; sponsored by the National Main Street Center, this online seminar endorsed some of our current strategies such as the "Think Monroe County First" campaign.

Todd Barman, Program Officer for the National Main Street Center, offered succinct advice to economic developers from across the nation about how to support their community's smaller firms. He also summarized some key actions that individual business owners can take to keep their companies headed in the right direction despite buffeting from the economic downturn.

First and foremost, Barman advised, business owners need to stay the course. Consumer confidence is the key to buying, and their confidence grows in businesses that are moving forward in a calm, consistent manner.

Barman also recommended the following actions:

1. Review inventory levels more closely--don't stay overstocked or seriously understocked;
2. Determine your company's financial "break even" point and be more careful about reaching it;
3. Analyze your customer base;
4. Maximize the power of referrals;
5. Watch what the "big boys" in your industry are doing;
6. Participate in a "think local" campaign;
7. Take positive action--maintain a positive attitude.