The Downtown Entrepreneurship Project

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Downtown Entrepreneurship Project Exactly?

The Downtown Entrepreneurship Project is an organization dedicated to helping downtowns—large and small—attract, train, retain and nurture independent entrepreneurs.  Too much time is spent chasing new business when it is far easier, far more sensible and far more efficient to “home grow” downtown businesses.  That doesn’t mean you should abandon your business attraction programs—just add a new dimension.

As one place begins to look like every other place, independent locally owned and grown businesses can provide character and a sense of uniqueness to any community.

Are you a consulting firm, a resource center or a think tank/ research center on downtown entrepreneurship?

We are a new entity that is evolving—in fact we are an entrepreneurial venture .

It is our hope to be all of these things—it is our goal to be the first place downtown leaders turn when it comes to information on growing and retaining independent downtown businesses.  We certainly can consult, perform research, conduct community workshops and develop comprehensive entrepreneurship programs.  We are the foremost experts on attracting, nurturing and growing new locally owned independent businesses for downtowns—period.  We also plan to produce practical, useful, hands-on publications for the downtown community.

Aren’t there already a number of organizations in place to help entrepreneurs?

You bet.  There are countless organizations—federal, state and local—that are doing a fairly good job of assisting would-be business owners and existing business owners with business growth issues.  We understand how to tap into this vast network of programs but we also understand the problems unique to downtowns and commercial districts.  So we are able to draw on existing information and make it work for downtown leaders across the country.  We are happy to work with existing local entrepreneur development programs to make sure they are tailored to meet the needs of your downtown.  In fact, it is our goal to identify local programs and use them on the front lines of downtown entrepreneurship development.  We don’t want to compete with your local entrepreneur development programs—we want to partner with them to make them “downtown friendly.”

How do you price your services?

Reasonably.  The founder of the DEP, has run several non-profit downtown and economic agencies and understands the all-too-real budgetary constraints most downtowns organizations face.  The Downtown Entrepreneurship Project will endeavor to work within your budget—every time.  Large consulting firms have high overhead—not us.  We can afford to provide top-flight advice at less than most major firms.

We want to do a market analysis—isn’t that really all we need to get started with our downtown business development program?

NO!  In fact the simple truth is the typical retail market analysis/business analysis is awful and builds up hopes unnecessarily.   There are countless firms, large and small—that perform market analyses.  Too many are off-the-shelf products that they “customize” for each downtown.  Then there are those who will teach you how to do your own market analysis—they claim they have a template ---all you have to do is punch in your numbers and voila—you now know what your downtown or commercial district should look like and what type of businesses they will support.  Too many downtowns have gone “data crazy” gathering a boat-load of information that someone—usually a consultant—told them they needed.   We gather appropriate data without a lot of fanfare, and help you decide what type of businesses you need to grow.  There are too many examples of business thriving in less than ideal locations---a market analysis would say that business shouldn’t be thriving. Well how is it thriving—how do the analysts explain that?  Many times enthusiasm, hard work and a good business idea trumps a market analysis. Our approach is pragmatic, realistic and dynamic—and in the end you have a cadre of entrepreneurs ready to take on the world. Sure beats one more numbers crunching exercise.  That said—if you absolutely want a market analysis, we can give you a superb, common sense, workable analysis.  In fact, it’s the best one we’ve seen.

We hire land use planners, economic researchers, retail experts and still our downtown business growth is lagging—why?

Easy. Most land use planners, economic researchers, even retail experts do not understand what drives an entrepreneur.  These type of consultants are locked into their area of expertise but don’t understand that unique, risk-taking, dynamic, hopeful, maverick breed called the entrepreneur.  You can hire all the consultants you want—but chances are you won’t find someone who understands both the culture of downtowns and entrepreneurs.   We certainly do.

We at the Downtown Entrepreneurship Project understand the entrepreneur and will advocate for them every step of the way.  Entrepreneurs can infuse a sense of excitement, vitality and risk taking into a downtown—how many land use planners, engineers or economists can do that?

What about entrepreneurs that are already in a downtown—can they expect assistance too?

YES!  We have studied what it takes to reenergize an independent business owner who may have lost that original enthusiasm—that original zest for risk taking and business growth.  We have specially designed programs to help reinvigorate existing businesses and help them expand and to rediscover their original dream of business independence.

So many downtowns are losing long-time, landmark businesses.  Can you help there?

You bet.  We have a specially designed program to retain landmark businesses.  Perhaps it’s a business that has been handed down from generation to generation and has lost some if its oomph.  Perhaps it’s a business which has grown  stagnant and needs an entrepreneurial jolt.  We have studied in-depth what makes landmark businesses tick—and too often fade away.  We can help you to retain your landmark businesses so that they will be vital and ready to serve another generation.

What about business incubators?

We understand downtown incubators-- retail and service incubators.  In fact, we understand them better than any organization around.  We have studied the successful ones and learned lessons from the ones that did not succeed.  We can advise you on how to establish a downtown retail/service incubator that will draw local and regional attention.  Incubators can happen in a downtown—but it will take people who know the pitfalls to guide you through the process.  Those people are the Downtown Entrepreneurship Project.

What else should we know about the Downtown Entrepreneurship Project?

You should know that when we get underway, we are going to be tenacious as we fight and advocate for increased entrepreneurial activity in our downtowns.  We will not rest until every downtown leader is committed to honoring, nurturing and supporting the risk takers and investors known as entrepreneurs.  Our love of downtowns has led us to the conclusion that the hope for future downtown revitalization lies in entrepreneurship and we are ready to get started.