Setting High Standards is a Pro-Business Strategy for Starkville
published:
Setting High Standards is a Pro-Business Strategy for Starkville
An attractive, high-quality community is a powerful recruiting tool
An attractive, high-quality community is a powerful recruiting tool, and Starkville is doubling down on this strategy, resulting in an economic surge of more than 50 new and expanding businesses in recent years.
“Steady growth is a sign of a thriving community, and standards are vital if you want to attract quality businesses,” said Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill. “We want businesses that respect and appreciate our principles, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have their own unique character. Our focus on quality and viability underscores Starkville’s commitment to creating a cohesive and appealing environment for both residents and businesses.”
Starkville’s standards include requiring businesses to install new sidewalks where appropriate and ensuring their exteriors conform with approved materials and styles that fit with neighboring businesses. For new construction and renovations, the city collaborates with licensed architects and follows a comprehensive site planning process, ensuring a high level of quality and aesthetic appeal throughout the city.
The city also partners with Retail Strategies to recruit new businesses and help connect commercial property owners with businesses seeking to locate in Starkville. By gaining a deeper understanding of market demographics, consumer spending habits and other data points, Retail Strategies acts as a matchmaker between Starkville and prospective businesses.
“It’s important to understand where the gaps are because you want to recruit businesses that complement the existing business mix,” said Jenn Gregory, president of Downtown Strategies at Retail Strategies. “The demographics also must show that there’s a big enough customer base to support a specific brand. You have to understand what the community’s baseline needs are.”
Retail Strategies is the national expert in community development and retail economic development. Our mission is to provide the real estate expertise, tools, and human effort that position deserving towns as alluring locations for national businesses and destinations for tourism and quality-of-life amenities. We confidently pursue this mission by delivering unparalleled customer service as a unified team with unmatched real estate and community development expertise. Our activities pay a return in sales taxes, added jobs, and businesses that enhance and add to the unique qualities of your community.
About Downtown Strategies
Downtown Strategies, a division of Retail Strategies, exists to provide realistic, implementable strategies to communities for revitalizing their downtowns. Led by a team of former downtown revitalization practitioners and real estate experts, our combination of real-world experience, plus expertise in real estate and retail uniquely qualify us to assist communities with backfilling vacancies, increasing tourism, and enhancing the sense of place in their downtowns. Serving rural communities in 25 states, Downtown Strategies is the leading national firm for downtown revitalization planning, emphasizing real estate and retail.
I’ve told every city leader that has called to ask about Retail Strategies, ‘You’d be foolish not to try.’
John Feary
City Manager
Claremore, OK
Service: Small Business Support
We are excited to have a turnkey program that supports all sectors — retail services, restaurants, traditional retail, and landlords. This platform will empower our small business owners with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed.
Andrea de la Rosa
Assistant Director of Small Business Development
City of Bloomington
Service: Retail Strategies
I really enjoyed the meeting with Laura Marinos and Jennifer Gregory of Retail Strategies! They were very informative and supportive. They gave me so much information and tips for taking my business to the next level in the marketing area where I lack tremendously. I finally decided on a new name so I will be putting their tools into action soon!
Stacy Grant
Business Owner
Youngstown OH
Service: Retail Strategies
Retail Strategies has been an incredible asset to both my clients and me in deal-making. Their folks do a great job of listening to retailers’ requirements and providing value. They’ve proven to be a strong conduit between municipalities and retailers supporting growth through connections.
Casey Smallwood
SVP, Managing Principal & Market Leader, SRS Real Estate Partners
Service: Retail Strategies
I would highly recommend Retail Strategies. They have been a great partner to the Hendry County Economic Development Council in our recruitment efforts to bring more retail opportunities to the county. Their experience, knowledge, and relationships throughout the retail community combined with their friendly approach has made them a valued partner in our community’s growth efforts.
Keitha Daniels
Executive Director of the Hendry County Economic Development Council
Hendry County, Florida
Service: Downtown Strategies
The thing that we really liked about Retail Strategies is that they work together with you and the community. We had to put together an executive committee that consists of some town employees, officials, some citizens and plus myself from the chamber. Retail Strategies has a very diverse background. They have people that are from economic development, they have people that were realtors, they have people that are downtown development directors, people that are in tourism, people that are in retail, so they really have all avenues.
Julie Beck
Mount Olive Area Chamber of Commerce President
Mount Olive, NC
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