ROGERS -- Downtown business owners will pool their money, time and talents to create the Downtown Merchants Association. It 's an effort to find ways to bring people downtown to shop.
The association is in its infancy, but business owners say they have big plans for the organization and downtown.
"Main Street Rogers has the big picture for downtown," said Mary Schopp, co-owner of The Rabbit's Lair. "The association is working to develop marketing strategies for individual businesses as well as downtown.
"We all have different skill sets. By combining our skills sets and money we can better represent our interests."
Dana Mather, Main Street Rogers director, said her organization and the merchants association have different focus areas, but will work to create an economically healthy downtown.
"In general, Main Street is working for the greater downtown area. Our job is to preserve the historical buildings and create an environment for downtown. The merchants create sales," Mather said. "The two organizations are working together to figure out the best way to be more successful."
Because the association is voluntary it doesn't have a structured operating board or director, business owners said.
The association is in the process of printing a 16-page brochure for downtown, said Brenda Golden with Golden's Designer Jewelry.
"We don't have the advertising money of a big-box business, but by pooling our money we can get more bang for a buck," Golden said.
The brochure will be financed through ads purchased by merchants and others. The brochure centerpiece is a map that lists all the downtown businesses. It also contains points of interest in and around downtown, such as the Daisy BB Gun Museum, the Rogers Historical Museum, the Victory Theater and Lake Atalanta, Golden said.
"The brochure is still at the printers. I hope the brochure will be ready for distribution late this month," Golden said.
The merchants also will learn how to best use Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, Golden said.
"We are developing a website for the association. Once we get a website up and running it will be easy to update Facebook and Instagram from the website. Working together we have a community of businesses, which has a stronger voice than an individual small business," Golden said.
The website will be "Go Downtown Rogers."
There are many merchants associations, large and small, across the country. Some are connected to city government. Some are in the same town with a Main Street program. The bottom line remains the same regardless of size -- improve downtown and create an economically viable place for small businesses to develop, association members said.
Fairhope, Ala., a town of 16,000 residents, has an active Downtown Association membership of about 130 businesses, said Paige Turberville, special event coordinator for Fairhope.
"The city and the merchants association work together to increase tourism and keep our downtown area vibrant and beautiful," Turberville said.
Alex Robinson, part-time director of the downtown association, said it has been around for about 50 years.
"A small group of business owners got together to improve the business climate and bring more people downtown. The organization has gotten bigger over the years and has accomplished some great things," Robinson said.
Fairhope is a short drive from the Gulf of Mexico and attracts a fair amount of tourists, Robinson said.
The town has brick sidewalks, thousand of flowers and other landscaping, green space, a community garden, a flower clock, restaurants and a wide variety of businesses downtown, Robinson said.
"We think we are a unique and charming town. We have people who live downtown because of our great walkability. There is a grocery store, drug store and other shops and businesses that can provide just about anything a person might need," she said.
Fairhope pays the association about $10,000 a year to put together a brochure that lists all city government information, including a map of the city and list of businesses downtown, she said.
The association coordinates with the city on special events throughout the year. Events include a First Friday Art Walk, a Girls Night Out and a Halloween event. The city puts up 1 million lights downtown at Christmas.
"Our volunteer association works because we try to get everybody under one roof and on the same page. When people work together they can accomplish much more than a single individual," Robinson said.
NW News on 09/06/2014