Historic Downtown Russellville
Susan – annual leave M-F
Main Street Arkansas Calendar March 21 – 25, 2011
**********************************************************************************
MONDAY Greg – out
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY Nancy – Russellville (site visit)
**********************************************************************************
IN THIS ISSUE:
Main Street Searcy Press
AEDC Unveils Revised, Updated Target Industries List
BR&E Success Stories
AR State Parks Survey
AR Urban Forestry Conference
Workshop for Rural Bizs: Online Marketing
Main Street Searcy Press:
http://arkansasmatters.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=404336
http://searcy.todaysthv.com/news/business/farmers-market-prepares-season-opening/56844
Arkansas unveils revised, updated target industries
The Arkansas Economic Development Commission has revised and updated its target businesses – those that create strategic investments designed to transition the state’s economy to one supported by higher-paying, knowledge-based jobs. These targets provide specific niche opportunities based on existing strengths and competitive advantages. The target industries are:
• Advanced Manufacturing (Advanced Food Manufacturing and Packaging, Aerospace/Aviation, Automotive – Electric Cars and Suppliers, Energy Storage Devices, and Paper and Timber Products);
• Green Energy and Related Products (Green and Sustainable Building Products, Sustainable Agriculture – Bioenergy and Supporting Industries, Power Electronics – Smart Grid Enabling Technologies, Solar Component Manufacturing, and Wind Component Manufacturing);
• Information Technology (Data Centers, Software Development and Data Management Services, Technical Support Centers, and Telecommunications)
• Biosciences, Distribution and Logistics Services and Regional Headquarters
For more information about AEDC’s target industries, click here.
Business Retention and Expansion Division seeks success stories
AEDC’s Business Retention and Expansion Division recently sent messages to community leaders in an effort to gather local experiences and best practices that promote business retention, identify challenges to growth or prosperity, or laud innovative work done by communities. The information will be shared to help others with similar experiences statewide. For more information or to share your story, contact LaJuana Delph at 501-682-7382 or ldelph@arkansasedc.com.
Arkansas State Parks Survey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2011ASPGuestSurvey
Arkansas Urban Forestry Council’s 20th Annual Conference
"Forests for All: Managing Modern Urban Forests"
April 18-20, 2011 Clarion Resort on the Lake. Hot Springs
http://www.arkansastrees.org/register.html
WORKSHOPS TO TEACH RURAL BUSINESSES HOW TO USE ONLINE MARKETING TO DRAW TOURISTS
Rural tourism expert Joanne Steele wants to help Arkansas’ rural communities and businesses capture the immense potential of the Internet for attracting tourists.
In April, she will present the workshop “Promoting Rural Tourism: Making the Internet Work for Your Business and Your Town” in seven locations around the state. The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is sponsoring the training, which is funded through a grant award from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
As owner and operator of Rural Tourism Marketing Group, Steele has worked for more than 15 years to help rural communities become tourist destinations. She served 11 years as director of tourism for rural Siskiyou County, Calif. Through her acclaimed blog, http://RuralTourismMarketing.com, she shares her knowledge of the rural tourism industry and her dedication to rural culture and values.
Steele’s 6-hour presentation will show participants how regular small-town business practices such as knowing your customers and serving their needs are exactly the principles that are used to create an effective online marketing strategy. Participants will learn how all the pieces of this strategy – including a business website, social media, e-mail marketing, review sites and directories – work together. They will use this new knowledge to create a personalized Internet marketing strategy that fits their business, their time constraints and their skill level.
The workshop schedule:
• April 16 – Van Buren, Adult Continuing Education Center, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
• April 18-19 – Eureka Springs, The Basin Hotel, 6-9 p.m.
• April 20-21 – Mountain Home, Liberty Bank, 1-4 p.m.
• April 23 – Little Rock, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Reynolds Center, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
• April 25-26 – Hot Springs, Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce, 6-9 p.m.
• April 27-28 – Magnolia, Southern Arkansas University Science Center, 1-4 p.m.
• April 30 – Dumas, Dumas Community Center, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Registration fee for the workshop is $30 per person. Advance registration is required and available by phone or email. Contact the ASBTDC’s Shannon Roberts at (501) 683-7700 or toll-free (800) 862-2040, or e-mail her at sxroberts at ualr.edu.
Posts
