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Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams
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Two years ago, as the pandemic began, small business owners saw their futures as dire. Nearly two-thirds of the 5,844 small businesses owners who responded to our March 2020 survey said they did not expect their businesses would survive business disruptions if they continued for five months. We braced for a tsunami of business closures across the country’s downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. But it never came.
Based on our data over the course of the last 24 months, it seems small businesses in Main Street communities showed their mettle as they hung through the tough times. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) undoubtedly played a major role in providing relief. Main Street America analysis of PPP data indicates that businesses located in Main Street districts received more than 150,000 loans totaling more than $8.5 billion dollars. But Main Street managers, pounding the pavement and working their phones, surely acted as first responders of sorts as well. In our December 2020 survey of Main Street managers, more than half of the managers and directors who responded indicated that their communities had actually had more business starts than business closures.
In our Winter 2022 Small Business Survey, conducted last month, we see continued evidence of Main Street businesses’ resilience. We asked small business owners how confident they were feeling about their future. Responding on a ten-point scale, 26% of small business owners said they were extremely confident (10 out of 10), and 59% rated their confidence as an 8, 9, or 10.
Use of e-commerce continues to rise but still doesn’t represent a robust revenue-generating component for most small businesses. In our original small business survey on the impacts of COVID-19, conducted in March 2020, 37% of small business owners said that their business had an online sales component. Two years later, in our current survey, that number is up: 44% now say they were generating revenue through e-commerce. The proportion of small businesses’ revenue coming through e-commerce has remained a small percentage, however. In the current survey, 79% of small businesses using e-commerce said online sales brought a quarter of their overall revenue or less, and more than half of respondents said e-commerce accounted for less than 10 of their total revenue. In March 2020, the survey indicated the exact same proportion of small businesses generated a quarter of their revenue or less online—79%.
Many small business owner respondents were testing out or considering new technologies and business model shifts that would reduce the time customers spent inside the business establishment. 46% of respondents had incorporated or were considering touchless payment options and 37% implemented or were considering taking orders online for in-store pickup. These changes, likely implemented to lessen stress around the risk of COVID-19 transmission, may well carry forward and become new expectations of consumers and therefore a new standard for businesses.
The effects of the pandemic are still being felt in ways that are separate from public health concerns alone. More than half of small businesses owners said they were concerned about challenges with inflation (58%) and supply chain issues (57%). Asked about the degree to which they were concerned about several issues, more than two-thirds of respondents indicated that challenges with inflation were a major or very serious concern, and 61% said that supply chain issues were a major or very serious concern. In contrast, only 18% of small business owner respondents were concerned about abiding by COVID-related regulations, and among those who shared that concern, most (58%) indicated that it was not a major or very serious concern.
Workforce issues, also likely a continuing effect of the pandemic, were also frequently cited as a concern. 40% of small business owner respondents were concerned about challenges hiring and filling open positions with qualified applicants, and 33% were concerned about challenges keeping their business fully staffed. Among those who expressed these concerns, 65 % indicated that hiring and filling open positions with qualified applicants was a major or very serious concern, and 60% indicated that keeping their business full staffed was a major or very serious concern.
Small business owners were very concerned about their business fundamentals in some ways as well. The third most cited concern for small business owners was focused on attracting new customers and clients (52%). Meanwhile, 38% of respondents said they were concerned about retaining customers and clients, and 39% indicated they were concerned about shrinking margins for their businesses. Nearly three-quarters of respondents (74%) who expressed concern about shrinking margins indicated that that issue was either a major or very serious concern. No other single concern was so often rated as major or very serious.
All aspects of the Main Street Approach were reflected in the types of support desired by small business owners. There is a clear focus on ensuring continued economic vitality and resilience, reflected in the responses of 61% of small business owners who said they would like to see more incentives and financial support for small businesses. Increased district-wide marketing and promotion was of the second-most interest, with 56% of respondents indicating interest. Third, 37% of respondents expressed interest in there being stronger organization of businesses in the area, and in a close fourth, 35% of respondents indicated that they would like to see improvements to the physical design of their area (e.g., accessibility, lighting, wayfinding, streetscape, etc.). Interestingly, 32% of respondents were also interested in incentives, support, or technical assistance with storefront/façade renovations or energy-efficiency improvements.
Marketing, partnerships, and data were seen as the three topics or tools that small business owners were most interested in strengthening. More than half of respondents (55%) expressed a high or very high level of interest in strengthening their business’s marketing online or over social media. 38% of respondents expressed a high or very high level of interest in improving their partnerships with other local businesses or business groups, and 35% expressed a high or very high level of interest in leveraging data to improve marketing and inventory. Other topics or tools that were frequently cited as of high or very high interest include strengthening the business’s relationship with the local and state government (27%), e-commerce (25%), and expansion to new markets or locations (24%).
It’s clear that we’re in a very different place today than we were two years ago, as the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic became clearer both in terms of public health and economic outcomes. Main Street America’s data indicates that many small businesses, downtowns, and neighborhood commercial districts hung on and have come through stronger and more resilient than most would have predicted. But the pandemic is not yet behind us, either--whether in terms of COVID infections and hospitalizations, or in terms of ramifications for small business staffing and supply chain disruption.
There’s a clear analog for Main Street organizations in these terms, as well. Small businesses have largely survived, but that’s due in no small part to the Main Street managers and volunteers who have made a tremendous difference in supporting their business districts through a time of great turbulence and dislocation. And yet, there’s work to be done still: small business owners are looking for support with their economic vitality, district and façade design, marketing and promotion, and business organization and partnership.
As a next step with this survey, the Research Team at Main Street America will soon aggregate this data by Coordinating Program geographies and locales. As with our 2020 small business survey, we will publish a map that allows coordinators, directors, managers, and staff to access data on their city and state.
Urban Impact Inc., harnesses strategic investments and collaborative efforts to foster a vibrant and sustainable future, from visionary adaptive reuse ventures to transformative development grants for small businesses and property owners in Birmingham, Alabama's historic 4th Avenue Black Business District.
In the last episode of season two of Main Street Business Insights, tune in as host Matt Wagner breaks down how to understand and synthesize local market data.
Sterling Main Street launched a brick and mortar retail incubator spaces. Executive Director Janna Groharing shares lessons they learned about organization, fundraising, and outreach.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Glen Ellis, owner of Sycamore Education, Dominion Catalyst Services, and Milady Coffeehouse in Fremont, Nebraska.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Jaime Courtney, President of Shoalwater Seafood, Derek King, Oyster Farm Director of Shoalwater Seafood, and Shane Thomas, Tribal Council Vice Chair of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.
Sarah Cole, owner of Abadir’s in Greensboro, Ala., was a 2023 Backing Small Businesses grantee. Abadir’s is a pop-up eatery specializing in seasonal and wholesome baked goods influenced by Egyptian traditions and flavors combined with inspiration from true Southern cuisine.
In this episode of the Main Street Business Insights podcast, Matt sits down with Casey Woods, Executive Director of Emporia Main Street in Emporia, Kansas.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Nicole Fleetwood and McKinzie Hodges, co-owners of Scratch Made Bakery in Amarillo, Texas.
Tylisya Gober, owner of Barbie Behavior Boutique in Oak Park, Mich., was a 2023 Backing Small Businesses grantee. Barbie Behavior is a women’s clothing boutique specializing in celebrity-inspired attire.
Tiffany Fixter, owner of Brewability in Englewood, Colorado, was a 2023 Backing Small Businesses grantee. Brewability is an inclusive brewery and pizzeria that employs adults with disabilities to brew craft beer.
We’re excited to announce that Main Street America will continue to offer virtual and on-demand small business training in 2024 through an evolved program, the Small Biz Digital Trainers program.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Tiffany Fixter, owner of Brewability, an inclusive craft brewery and pizzeria that employs adults with disabilities based in Englewood,
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Jennifer Jones, co-owner of Good Times Coal Fired Pizza and Pub in Big Stone Gap, Virginia.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Bobby Boone, founder and Chief Strategist of &Access. Based in New Orleans, La., &Access creates data-driven and design-centric retail real estate solutions for historically excluded entrepreneurs and under-invested neighborhoods.
New Orleans, Louisiana © Bobby Boone
Tasha Sams, Manager of Education Programs, shares highlights of phase one of the Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (E3) in Rural Main Streets Program and the biggest takeaways from the workshop experiences.
In this video, learn more about the Williams’ family story, how the business is helping to revive downtown Helena, and the impact they’re having on a national level.
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Janet Hurn, co-founder of Future Ready Consulting in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Cincinnati, Ohio © Janet Hurn
In this episode of Main Street Business Insights, Matt sits down with Derrick Braziel, owner of Pata Roja Taqueria and co-founder of MORTAR, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Matt Wagner, Ph.D., shares his predictions for the trends impacting small businesses in 2024.
Chief Program Officer Matt Wagner, Ph.D., shares his predictions for the trends impacting small businesses in 2024.
A podcast featuring some of the best advice we heard from entrepreneurs and community leaders across the country.
Our research team shares the results of the Fall 2023 Small Business Survey.
Learn how local entrepreneurs have leveraged the power of a Main Street community to establish, maintain, and grow their ventures.
Learn how this organization is uplifting business owners and preventing displacement.
Charlotte, NC © Pixabay
Small Business Saturday is an important opportunity to show your support for local businesses. We asked business owners across the network what your support means to them.
Laramie, WY © Laramie Main Street Alliance
Meet the latest recipients of the Backing Small Businesses Program from American Express!
Matt sits down with Jamie and Jerry Baker, co-owners and founders of Trendy Teachers, a teaching boutique and educational toy store located in downtown Rome, Georgia.
This holiday season, rally your communities around the small businesses that help make your downtown thrive.
Small Business Saturday is Nov. 25! Check out these five strategies to celebrate shopping small.
Middlesboro Main Street in Middlesboro, Ky., Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Chicago, Ill., and Sugar Creek Business Association in Charlotte, N.C., have each been awarded $100,000 through The Hartford Small Business Accelerator Grant Program in partnership with Main Street America.
Matt sat down with Anette Soto Landeros, co-owner of Casa Azul Coffee and President and CEO of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Fort Worth, Texas.
Matt Wagner sat down with Danny Reynolds, president and owner of Stephenson's, an independently owned high-end fashion retailer in downtown Elkhart, Indiana.
Matt Wagner sat down with Harvey Williams, Co-Founder and CEO of Delta Dirt Distillery in Helena, Arkansas.
Learn how the Little Santo Domingo neighborhood of Miami is working with the Truist Foundation to strengthen pathways to small business ownership.
© Allapattah CDC
Get ready to support your small business owners and encourage people to shop small this November!
Matt Wagner sat down with the CEO of Keith McDonald Plumbing in Milledgeville, Ga., Lindsay Goodson McDonald.
Learn how the South Carolina Coordinator Program is uplifting small businesses across the state with their dedicated e-commerce platform.
© Main Street South Carolina
Matt Wagner sat down with The Barbershop Conversation podcast team, co-hosts Kenneth Bentley and Davion Hampton along with executive producer Emory Green Jr., in Goldsboro, Florida.
From a cat cafe to a computer repair shop and museum, check out these innovative small businesses from across the Main Street network.
© Historic Valley Junction
This three-week live, online course will prepare local leaders to more effectively work with small business owners in their districts and create an environment that is supportive of entrepreneurship.
© Notice Pictures
Main Street America has a podcast! Tune into Main Street Business Insights to hear from small business leaders across the country.
Meet the 2023 recipients for the Backing Small Businesses grant program, presented by American Express, to provide financial support to small business owners to address critical needs and make a positive impact in their local communities.
In partnership with Grow with Google, our digital coaches will work with businesses in their home states, with a focus on those that operate in small towns and rural communities.
Congratulations to these innovative Shop Small events from across the Main Street network.
Stockbridge, GA © Stockbridge Main Street
Spencer Main Street's Main Street Micro Grants is injecting key funding into their small business ecosystem.
Spencer, IA © Spencer Main Street
Check out a deep dive into the results of our Spring 2023 Small Business Survey, plus insights to help inform the work of local leaders supporting entrepreneurs on Main Street.
Meet the communities who have been chosen to receive entrepreneurial support from Main Street America and the Kauffman Foundation.
We spoke to Debbie Ho, Executive Director at Chinatown Main Street, to learn about the history of women in Boston Chinatown.
Boston, MA © Kyle Klein
From program budgets to big achievements, here's the latest data on the Main Street Movement in 2023.
Franklin, TN © Brandon Jean
Learn how Downtown Inc and York County Economic Alliance are supporting marginalized small business owners in their community
York, PA © Sully Pinos
Meet Backing Small Businesses grantees Kim and Chris Casteel of Anew Life Prosthetics and Orthotics based in Detroit, Michigan.
Short stories about small business owners from Evart, Michigan.
Evart, MI © Storyville
Matt Wagner looks back at his small business predictions for 2022 and shares predictions for 2023.
Learn about the City of Boston’s efforts to invest in economic equity.
Learn how this West Virginia community redirected façade improvement funds to revive local commercial kitchens.
Matt Wagner wrote an article for the OECD blog on how can small business owners can combine digital tools with the power of place to find sustainable success.
Inspired by a session at the 2022 Main Street Now Conference, Main Street Ottumwa has launched the Business Builder Academy, an entrepreneurship course to help aspiring business owners start their ventures.
Ottumwa, IA © Main Street Ottumwa
Whether you are a seasoned American Express Small Business Saturday Neighborhood Champion or an entrepreneur joining this national movement for the first time, we’ve gathered a roundup of resources to support your “shop local” marketing efforts.
We spoke to three women who were awarded Inclusive Backing grants to learn more about their passions, their businesses, and their advice for other women.
Wixom, MI © Carissa Serylo
From social media scavenger hunts to downtown passports, the Main Street network has used countless innovative ways to encourage their communities to Shop Small®—and had plenty of fun doing it.
Oceanside, CA © Road West Photography
Main Street Franklin is leading the way in showing how women business owners can be a powerful force for change in their communities.
#EquityRising, Old Algiers Main Street Corporation's new job training program, seeks to combat rising cost of living by helping residents train for careers that will allow them to stay in their neighborhood.
Learn how the Small Business Census pilot project explored the demographics of the small businesses that call Main Street districts home.
Colville, WA © Colville Together
We spoke to three Black business owners who were awarded Backing Small Businesses grants from Main Street America and American Express to better understand their challenges, successes, and the kinds of support that have helped them the most.
Camden, AR © Kimberly Moore Davis
Main Street leaders and local development practitioners from around the world participated in this exciting webinar hosted by the OECD.
Learn how Silver City MainStreet is using Story Hours to connect local business owners with the community.
Silver City, NM © Silver City MainStreet
Main Street Skowhegan opened their new Skowhegan Center for Entrepreneurship, a downtown space for co-working, meeting, entrepreneurial support, trainings, and education.
Skowhegan, ME © Kristina Cannon
Main Street America is proud to support the Revitalizing Small and Local Businesses Act
Learn about Show of Hands, an entrepreneurial program in multiple Main Street communities.
Wheeling, WV © Wheeling Heritage
Chief Program Officer Matt Wagner, Ph.D., shares his predictions for the trends affecting small businesses in 2022.
Is your Main Street ready for the biggest small business shopping day of the year?
Main Street Charles City organizes their annual 'WonderFall' event, a business decorating contest designed to have some fun with the autumnal season as well as provide a reminder of the importance of curb appeal in attracting the public’s attention.
Charles City, IA © Mark Wicks
Leverage NC, a partnership between North Carolina Main Street and the North Carolina League of Municipalities, hosted a four-part webinar series titled Better Community Planning & Economic Development led by Ed McMahon, Chair Emeritus of Main Street America and a leading national authority on land use policy and economic development.
Main Street Arkansas has brewed a new engaging way for tourists and residents alike to explore local Arkansas commercial districts: the Main Street Arkansas Coffee Trail.
Little Rock, AR © Main Street Arkansas
Matt Wagner explores how Main Streets can navigate workforce concerns in the post-pandemic economy.
We spoke with two Black entrepreneurs in UrbanMain commercial districts: L. May Creations in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago and The Four Way in south Memphis, Tennessee.
Memphis, TN © Four Way
Heart of Biddeford shares the strategies they developed to support Black-owned businesses in their community.
Biddeford, ME © Heart of Biddeford
We heard from organizations across the nation about the incredible impact their markets have had on community engagement, entrepreneur and small business support, and keeping their district vibrant.
The global pandemic gave us all a glimpse of a further dispersed future – a time when you don’t sit in a classroom at school, watch movies in a theater, or even go to the grocery store. Where do Main Streets fit in that model?
Appealing to mobility-challenged shoppers yields benefits beyond the store.
Being the only person in the know can be fun, exhilarating even. Except when you are the one person out of 600+ in a room and you know bad news is coming.
Fritz the dog has made his way into the hearts of the residents of LaBelle, Florida, and helped our Main Street Community find a way to make what we do more noticeable.
Altavista On Track, the local Main Street organization, is working to cultivate and sustain local entrepreneurs with an educational business launch competition, Pop-Up Altavista 2.0.
In Winchester, Virginia, one woman’s vision and commitment to downtown’s revitalization created an innovative community space for the Creative Class.
A business retention and expansion plan, properly implemented, not only helps keep businesses open but possibly even helps them expand.
The first rule of conducting business is “make it simple.” The easier it is to pay for merchandise, get entertainment or obtain a service, the more likely it is that people will take advantage of those options.
Main Street communities across the country are no stranger to seeking creative strategies to solve their most nagging issues – vacant buildings, marketing downtown, bolstering retail to name a few.
To understand the role that immigrant business owners play in Boston’s small business ecosystem, you need only to walk through any Boston Main Streets district.
Façade appearance is a critical aspect of the overall aesthetic appeal and unique character of downtown.
A lot of signs are necessary to make a downtown work well, but not every community knows what a good sign system looks like, or how instrumental it can be to the creation of a successful downtown.
Main Street Iowa, a program of the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Iowa Downtown Resource Center, created a one-of-a-kind three-year program to provide help for performance venues located in Main Street districts.
