Presented in partnership with the Town of Goderich and the Goderich BIA
About this Event
Running a retail business on Main Street in a small town or rural community comes with its own realities.
You’re adapting to changing customer shopping habits, rising costs of rent, shipping and importing products, seasonal traffic, online competition and all the day-to-day demands of running a small business — often while trying to figure out what comes next.
Main Street Matters is a one-day Small Business Week event open to Huron County's business community, and created specifically for small-town and rural retailers.
It’s a chance to get out of your business for a few hours, hear from people who understand the realities of rural retail, connect with other business owners and support agencies, and leave with ideas you can put to work.
We’re finalizing speakers, panelists and a few special additions to the day, and we’ll be sharing those announcements as the event gets closer.
Register early and we’ll keep you updated as new speakers, panelists and event details are announced.
What to Expect
The day will bring together Huron County retail business owners, business support organizations and industry experts for a mix of conversation, connection and practical learning.
We’re building a program that includes:
· Presentations and current data about Huron County and shopping behaviours
· A panel of local retailers from different communities and retail sectors across Huron County, sharing what they’re seeing and learning, and how they’re adapting to current challenges
· Time to connect with other business owners, local economic development staff, and business support organizations
· An optional hands-on afternoon workshop with a visual presentation specialist focused on improving visual merchandising and maximizing potential for the holiday shopping season
Who should attend?
Main Street Matters is for:
· Independent retail business owners
· Downtown and Main Street businesses
· Rural and small-town entrepreneurs
· Municipal and regional economic development professionals
· Organizations that support small businesses and downtown communities
Whether you’ve been in business for two years or twenty, this event is about making space to look beyond the daily to-do list and talk about what it takes to build a small town business that can continue adapting to a changing retail landscape.
If you own a retail business, work with Main Street businesses, or support rural entrepreneurs, save your seat now and follow along as we reveal the full line-up.
Main Street Matters is presented by Huron Business Centre, in partnership with the Town of Goderich and the Goderich BIA, in celebration of Canada’s Small Business Week.
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Huron Business Centre is a Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC). The SBEC program is delivered locally by the County of Huron and funded in partnership with the Province of Ontario.
Event venue & nearby stays
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 109, 56 Kingston Street, Goderich, Canada
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.