Sean C. Morgan
The Sweet Home Active Revitalization Effort will visit business owners throughout the community to conduct face-to-face surveys that will help the SHARE Steering Committee develop its programs.
“This is through SHARE as a partnership with SHEDG (the Sweet Home Economic Development Group), the city and the chamber, which is what SHARE is essentially,” said Economic Development Director Brian Hoffman.
This week and next, members of the SHARE Steering Committee will visit some 30 businesses personally, he said. “The purpose is to get feedback from the businesses basically so we can design the existing programs and design new programs with the businesses in mind – for the businesses.”
The SHARE committees have already developed several programs. Among them are events designed to get shoppers into local stores and the Commercial Exterior Improvement Program, which provides grants to local businesses to improve their storefronts.
“Ultimately, we want the majority of the programs to benefit the businesses,” Hoffman said, in line with a SHARE goal for retention and expansion of existing businesses.
SHARE committee members will analyze the results and widen their sampling if necessary, Hoffman said.
Usually, this type of activity is conducted by a consultant, Hoffman said. “We want Steering Committee members to be there, listen to businesses, get their input and be able to learn from businesses.”
The Steering Committee members seem excited and are looking forward to it, Hoffman said.
The survey includes 34 questions and should take about 30 minutes, Hoffman said. Individual responses will be confidential, but they will be summarized to develop overall results.
Most questions are closed-ended, from the details of the business and impact of events on business to the strengths and disadvantages of doing business in Sweet Home, Hoffman said, but the survey includes a couple of open-ended questions, such as what the Chamber of Commerce or SHARE can do to help businesses.
The survey is an early step in reaching SHARE’s objectives for 2011 and will help refine its programs.
SHARE is using the 2009 Marketek study to help establish its goals and programs, he said.
This year, the majority of the emphasis is creating a stronger organization, Hoffman said. To that end, SHARE will develop a SHARE handbook to help with recruitment and direction for current and new volunteers and produce an annual progress report.
SHARE is ready to begin a low-interest or no-interest loan program, developing it through a pilot project if the organization can find a willing business partner, Hoffman said. The project would need to parallel the Commercial Exterior Improvement Program, focusing on storefront improvements.
Proposals would go through the SHEDG Board of Directors for approval. SHEDG funds SHARE’s programs.
The pilot would be used to develop criteria and processes for a possible future loan program, Hoffman said.
SHARE also wants to create a design assistance team to help with building design, create a palette of recommended paint colors and graphic design assistance for sign improvements.
Other SHARE programs include the CEIP, the murals program, spring and fall retail promotions, the Saleabration, the Warm and Cozy Tour, a kiosk to market Sweet Home throughout the Willamette Valley, downtown cleanups, the banner project and holiday decorations.