ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING

Rebuilding the downtown's economic vitality, is the ultimate goal of all Main Street programs. Economic restructuring diversifies the downtown economy. This involves business retention and recruitment, the development of imaginative merchandising techniques, sharpening the competitiveness of downtown merchants, finding new uses for vacant space, and attracting new retail and non-retail functions (offices, residential, and recreational uses) to strengthen and diversify downtown's economic base.

In addition to the Louisiana Main Street office's assistance through community and committee training, our or staff assist Main Streets with

Merchandising. This workshop is designed to help your Main Street merchants become successful merchandisers. With a focus on increasing profits, this workshop balances aesthetics with sound business principles.

Customer Service Training. This workshop is designed to help businesses and service organizations train their staff in the art of good customer service.

Targeted Business Development Strategies. Louisiana Main Street can help your organization develop a business strategy that targets specific market segments, refines your current marketing plan or develops specific economic sectors (such as housing, tourism, professional offices, business incubators).

Community Initiated Development. This process rings nonprofit revitalization organizations into the world of commercial real estate development. Communities can realize the goal of turning large and small properties once neglected or abandoned into marketable real estate.

There are other excellent resources for Main Streets and other communities pursuing downtown revitalization.

Small Business Resources

U.S. Small Business Administration Office in Louisiana, 365 Canal St. Suite 2820, New Orleans, LA 70130, Phone 504 589-6685, http://www.sba.gov/la/ includes SCORE, Service Core of Retired Executives More than 12,400 volunteers in the provide training and one-on-one counseling at no charge at http://www.sba.gov/la/scorela.html

Louisiana Economic Development Corp. 225 342-5675, Small Business Loan Program, Business Linked Deposit Program, Micro Loan Program, Contract Loan Program, http://www.led.state.la.us/businessresources/

Louisiana Economic Development Department, Workforce Training and Development Program 225 342-5375 Small and Emerging Business Development Program 225 342-4320, Micro Enterprise Program regional offices contacts http://www.lded.state.la.us/

Louisiana Parish Profiles, demographics in an easy to read, easy to print format http://www.lded.state.la.us/overview/profile.aspx

Louisiana Association of Planning and Development Districts, some of the districts have excellent web resources including city/town demographic profiles http://www.lapdd.org/lapdd/

Info Louisiana has online Census 2000 information http://www.state.la.us/census/2000/demographic.htm

MAPS Trying to determine what district or region you are located for DOTD District, Archaeology District, Fire Marshall, Wildlife, Education, Small Business Development Centers here are some maps http://atlas.lsu.edu/parishes/