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Grandview eyes $500k award to boost Main Street

Grandview, Missouri, is home to more than 500 businesses 75% of which are small businesses that often lack funds for marketing and expansion. Help could soon be on the way, though, in the form of a $500k facelift from Small Business Revolution.
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Main Street: just about every city, big or small, has one, but it's Grandview's that could soon get national attention.

"My newspaper is my passion," said Mary Wilson, the editor of the city's newspaper. "The community is where my heart is and I would love to see Grandview grow as a whole. I want to be a part of it, and I am excited for the changes about to happen."

Wilson grew up in Grandview and now runs the Jackson County Advocate, the city's sole newspaper. She's also the president of the Grandview Main Street Organization.
 

"We have gotten a bad rap for several years, and so it would be good to reword what people say about our town," she said.

That's why she applied for the Deluxe Small Business Revolution $500,000 Main Street Makeover. Deluxe Corporation created the Small Business Revolution last year to bring awareness to small businesses in small towns. 

"We have a ways to go, but we are excited because this type of thing fits right in to everything we have been trying to do to bring our Main Street up to par," said Kim Curtis, the city's Chamber of Commerce president. "It would invest new money into our businesses, and also the recognition would be incredible."

If the city wins, the money would go towards revitalizing public spaces, providing support for small business owners and reinvigorating the community with events. 

"That kind of money helps talk to all the business people so they know that they aren't always expected to put out money for public relations or a fancy sign or something like that," Grandview Public Works director Dennis Randolph said. As the city's grant writer, he too sent in a recommendation that Grandview get in on the $500,000. "It's tough for people to pay for things, and small businesses - it's tough business, and that kind of money would help promote our businesses, draw people down."
 
Deluxe would also offer marketing and business services to small businesses.
 
"We deserve it because we have already begun the process," said Wilson. "We just need a little boost. We have seen some great improvements on our main street and in our downtown. We just need a little something else to help us continue and keep the momentum going that was already started."
 
In all, Deluxe received 9,000 applications from small towns and cities across the nation. Grandview finds out if it goes on to the next round May 1-7 during National Small Business Week, when a panel of judges whittles the applications down to just three finalists. Then the decision goes to the public, who will have a chance to choose the winner. 

Aside from the money and the assistance, Deluxe will capture and showcase the town’s transformation in a new web series debuting on Small Business Revolution this fall. 

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Terra Hall can be reached at terra.hall@kshb.com.

You can also follow her on Twitter.

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