The document summarizes a meeting of resource partners aimed at collaborating to help local Main Street entrepreneurs during the holidays. Key points discussed included: - Setting a clear agenda and structure for partner introductions and discussions. - Educating partners on services to share success stories and promote events. - Brainstorming ways to help local Main Street businesses, such as promotional campaigns, apps, and events. - Developing an action plan to increase promotion of Shop Local initiatives and improve collaboration among advocates.

1. Keep a regular schedule of
meetings (maybe quarterly?)
to update the network, plan
events, encourage referrals
and build collaborations.
RESOURCE PARTNER MEETING
January 31, 2017
Jenny Miller
@KCSourceLink

2. Set a clear agenda for
each meeting.
AGENDA
• Introductions
• What are Main Street businesses?
• Main Street break outs
• How can we help Main Street entrepreneurs
during the holidays?

3. JELLY BEAN
INTRODUCTIONS
• RED –Types of businesses your organization works with
• GREEN – Client success story
• BLUE – Services your organization provides
• YELLOW –Why you like being part of the KCSourceLink
network
• ORANGE – Next big thing your organizing has going on
or event you will be attending
Give an opportunity to educate
fellow partners on their services,
share success stories, promote
events and even celebrate the
network. Here, Jenny asks each
Resource Partner to select a jelly
bean.The color indicates what
they will share.

4. MAIN STREET
• Independent retailers, restaurants, doctors/lawyers offices
• Have a physical storefront, have employees
Focus on entrepreneurs and how
to build services, capacity and a
continuum of services.
Main Street companies make up a large segment of our economy,
serve communities’ growing populations and define a community’s
cultural character.

5. Main Street entrepreneurs aren’t
driven by rapid growth.
The founders create them to build a successful career in their area of
passion and expertise and plan to work in the company for a long
time.Their exit plan may involve selling the company to a key
employee or passing it on to a family member.

6. How can we help Main Street
entrepreneurs during the holidays?
Engage Resource Partners in the
challenge. Open the meeting for
discussion or hold break out
discussions to brainstorm ideas.

7. SURVEY
• Do you do any special promotions for Small Business Saturday?
• Would it help you to have a local push during Small Business Saturday?
• Would you use a “tool kit” of promotional materials (small signs, Facebook posts,
tweets)?
• How could we measure the success of a Shop Local promotional push?
• What would you as a retailer be willing to do to promote local buying?
Engage Resource
Partners in a solution.

8. FINDINGS
• Continue with Shop Local
• App for retail along light rail line
• Signage “You’re only a 7-minute walk from an art gallery”
etc.
• Reach out to merchant associations, etc.
• Cash Mob events
• Regional collaboration – EDCs
• Media campaign with common goal
• Buy Black initiative
• Keep it HYPER local
• Cross promote
• Distribute all support local advocates social media info
• Collaborative marketing
Report on findings to share on-
the-ground research gathered by
resource partners.

9. • Civic Economics – Spending $100 translates to $68 back
into community
• Unify on the use of a logo
• IndependenceWeek Shop Local push – events around 4th
of July
• National Home Based Business week (early Oct.) –
possible Shop Local push
• Leverage the Royals momentum. Build passion for
everything KC. Perhaps have BLUE Saturday the day
after Black Friday.
• Shop localChallenge – “I’m Shopping Local! How about
you?”
Report on findings to share on-
the-ground research gathered by
Resource Partners.

10. • Increase promotion
• Improve collaboration
ACTION PLAN
Follow up research and findings
with action—activate the network
in a common vision and solution.

11. INCREASE PROMOTION
FOR SHOP LOCAL
• Established #ShopLocalKC as unifying hashtag
• Collected information on various Shop Local events
surrounding Small Business Saturday; publicized through
blog posts, calendar listings, social media
• Sent collaborative press release on Small Business
Saturday to local media; pick up in print and radio
• Shared Shop Local statistics
• Promoted Cash Mob event
• Used Global EntrepreneurshipWeek as platform to
garner attention for Small Business Saturday
• Promoted Plaid Friday
• Revised links on KCSourceLink Shop Local page
• Included retailers in KCSourceLink Entrepreneurs in
Action

12. • Shared contact information and social media links
• Shared Shop Local events
• Special segment in Pitch newspaper
• Planning strategy for future efforts, including may,
IndependenceWeek and National Home Based Business
Week
• Exploring common logo
IMPROVE COLLABORATION
AMONG SHOP LOCAL
ADVOCATES

13. Solicit further feedback
and buy-in.
Ideas?

14. Give resource partners zero entry
to buy-in with easy-to-share
homework that keeps the topic
top-of-mind and encourages
immediate engagement
6Ways to MaximizeYour Return on Sponsoring or Hosting Holiday Events
7 Holiday MarketingTips on a Limited Budget
5Ways to MarketYour Business for the Holiday Season
Start Now to PlanYour Holiday Retail Marketing Campaign
How to MarketYour Business with an Event
33 Creative Ideas for Small Business Holiday Marketing
6 Good Reasons to Start your Holiday Marketing Plan Now
In the Meantime

15. Next Meeting
Remind the network of the
schedule and upcoming events.