Main Street consultants are offering free advice

Waveland and Bay St. Louis downtown business and property owners will have an opportunity to meet with Mississippi Main Street Association retail and design consultants free of charge from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Monday in the conference room of the Hancock Chamber of Commerce offices at 412 U.S. 90, Suite 6.

These services are coordinated by a national resource team that has been working closely with the Hancock County Main Street Program over the past few months.

Randy Wilson, Main Street Architect for South Carolina, is the leader of the resource team. He will be joined by Tom McGilloway, an urban designer/landscape architect. The two consultants have extensive experience working with property owners on practical solutions to building and site designs. Wilson will assist building owners seeking to make improvements to their properties, and McGilloway will assist property owners who are considering new investment.

At the Monday meeting the two will seek to provide property owners hands-on advice for approaches to developing, redeveloping or making physical improvements to their properties.

Also joining the team will be Margie Johnson. Since 1984 her firm, Shop Talk, has been helping businesses become industry leaders rather than competitors. Johnson has more than 30 years of experience as an owner/entrepreneur in the retail world and has worked with merchants dealing with recovery issues.

She will provide consultations with business owners in Waveland and Bay St. Louis. She can provide insight into repositioning their business, including marketing, merchandising and customer relations, as well as inventory and financial management. Her meetings will be confidential to allow business owners to share their challenges in a non-public setting.

Business owners who have had or are contemplating businesses in the downtown areas of either Bay St. Louis or Waveland may sign up for one-on-one July consultations with the Main Street team. The consultations will provide information and advice on building design, property development and business concerns. If slots are available, other property and business owners will be accommodated.

Appointments may be made after the Monday meeting or by calling Natasha Vacroux at 467-9048.

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Business Financial Services

Main Street consultants are offering free advice