Discover Wisconsin
What Evansville Businesses Can Do
By Jackie Liebel and Dan Wietecha – Reprinted from the Evansville Review May 5 2010 Edition
Evansville, WI – Last week our Discover Wisconsin articles focused on what Evansville residents can do to prepare for the coming Discover Wisconsin television feature of our town throughout the both the Midwest and the United States on a combination of network, cable, and satellite stations.
This week we are making some suggestions to local businesses, especially those with storefronts visible to visitors to Evansville. When you visit a town such as Stoughton, New Glarus, Mineral Point or other small towns with historical downtown areas, what kind of impression do you get? A large part of the “feel” of a town is how retail and city establishments present themselves. Equally if not more important is how visitors are treated in the stores, parks, and even while walking down the streets while participating in Evansville’s well-planned out historical walking tour.
The following are ideas we’ve collected for businesses … obviously every business is different and should pick and choose as appropriate for them.
1)Cut weeds around your property and the area surrounding it.
2)Trim branches that may have fallen during our heavy snowfalls this winter.
3)Sweep up the sidewalks.
4)Pick up litter in and around your property.
5)Pick up litter in the alley and next to dumpsters near your property – you would be surprised that people really do notice the condition of our alleys!
6)Update your business or non-profit website. The Chamber of Commerce recently put out a request to all their members to send in their most recent information, but individual websites should also be updated. The City of Evansville will soon put out a request of a similar nature – May would be a great time to do this prior to the arrival of visitors in June!
7)Think about having Discover Wisconsin specials or promotions starting in June.
8)Use of the Discover Wisconsin logo for your websites, brochures, ads, windows, etc. Contact Jackie Liebel at the Chamber, 882.5131, evansvillecoc@litewire.net to get a copy of the logo for use at your business.
9)Update your brochures with your latest offerings. Think about having an attractive brochure rack in the entrance to your store to hold information you think may be relevant to a visitor to Evansville. The Chamber and City have copies of the new Discover Wisconsin Brochure that contains the walking tour guide and is also coming out with a new Evansville-wide restaurant guide in May – contact the Chamber for copies starting May 18th.
10)Encourage visitors to frequent neighboring businesses. Encourage visitors and new residents in your neighborhoods alike to Buy Local in Evansville.
11)Keep a guest registry at your checkout or front desk – it can be helpful for your future advertising to know how people heard about you and where they are visiting from.
12)Update your front window displays to be eye-catching and fun for the summer season!
13)Idea for storefronts and vacant properties currently not being used: landlords may consider letting another group with something unique or interesting to display use their window. Ideas include contacting a local artist to display their work, putting out historic Evansville information, inviting the High Mileage Vehicle Club at the High School to display their work, etc. Having something interesting in a store window is much more appealing than leaving it unused. Get creative! Any questions or suggestions call the Chamber, 882.5131.
14)Everyone’s favorite springtime task – wash your windows … and last …
15)Put out attractive springtime plantings and flowers in front of your store or business. There are plenty of local plantings for sale now. The Evansville Community Partnership and City of Evansville order downtown planters every year too …get ideas from our local growers!
Please don’t hesitate to call the City of Evansville 882.2266 or the Chamber 882.5131 with questions and suggestions about your planned improvements.
Once again, remember to mark your calendars for now as the Discover Wisconsin Premiere Kickoff Party on June 10th 5p, - 11pm is just over a month away. Dan and Jackie have heard reports that Evansville’s preschool crowd has learned about the outdoor cartoon screening in the big tent and are HIGHLY anticipating the Kickoff!
The Discover Wisconsin program itself will be shown twice during the evening along with classic Warner Brothers' cartoons featuring Bugs and the Gang. All of this fun will come to a roaring climax with the First Fireworks of 2010 in Evansville! The generosity of our sponsors has made it possible to have fireworks at dusk on June 10 to go along with two fireworks shows during the 4th of July celebration. Please remember to bring your own blankets or lawn chairs for your family to watch the shows!
For more information on the festivities on June 10th, please contact Jim Brooks, ECP Community Coordinator, via phone at 608.882.0598 or via e-mail at ecpi@litewire.net. Also you can reply to this community-wide event on ECP’s Facebook Invitation.
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