Main Street New Jersey Program to Host Regional Seminars for Small Buinsess Owners
Workshops Will Provide Concrete Ways to Improve Small Businesses


TRENTON - The Department of Community Affairs' (DCA) Main Street New Jersey Program will present three regional training seminars this week to assist local small businesses succeed in today's volatile economy.

"Small businesses are the lifeblood of many communities. They provide needed jobs, products and services. Also, these businesses often contribute to local charities and sponsor programs that benefit area youth," said DCA Commissioner Joseph Doria. "Unfortunately, small businesses haven't been immune to the economic recession. These Main Street New Jersey workshops are a great way for them to learn creative ways to boost their business."

Jon Schallert, a respected business consultant, will lead the business improvement seminars. Each of the three workshops will focus on Schallert's proprietary 14-step strategy to turn a business into a consumer destination. Business owners participating in the seminars will leave with a list of concrete examples they can immediately put to use to drive more customer traffic and increase sales. The workshops will also include a marketing roundtable where Schallert will show business owners in attendance how his destination principles can specifically be applied to each of their businesses.

"Ultimately, downtown districts, like any place-based center of commerce, live and die by how well the individual businesses are succeeding," said Jef Buehler, Director of the Main Street New Jersey and Improvement District Programs at the DCA. "These seminars bring real-world expertise to local retailers so they can survive now and thrive in the future, helping to maintain the quality of commerce and life in their communities."

The seminars are part of Main Street New Jersey's Downtown Revitalization & Management Institute (DRMI), which is now in its 11th year of teaching a comprehensive, community-based approach to energizing and strengthening traditional town centers. The workshops endeavor to build upon the success of an April DRMI session that focused on helping downtowns in recession.

The seminars will take place in South Orange, Mount Holly and Boonton on June 16, 17, and 18, respectively. For general information about the Main Street New Jersey program and the seminars, please contact Jef Buehler, Director of Main Street New Jersey, at (609) 633-9769 or jefb@dca.state.nj.us. For specific information regarding each seminar, please contact Main Street South Orange at (973) 763-6899, Main Street Mount Holly at (609) 914-0811, or Boonton Main Street at (973) 257-9107.


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