A second batch of wayfinding signs were recently installed in downtown Cheboygan. They look fantastic! Wayfinding signs have been a longterm goal of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and was made possible with grant funds the DDA received through the Vibrant Small Cities Iniative program administered by Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). The first set of signs were installed in December and now this round of signage just complements what we have.

Wayfinding signage is intended to direct visitors to areas of interest in the downtown district. With the new signage, you will see additional road signs, but also many more kiosks. There are two types of kiosks – a major three-sided kiosk and a minor kiosk. Each kiosk will have a map with a “you are here” symbol. Major kiosks are installed at Gordon Turner Park, the new trailhead facility on Western Avenue, and Water Street Parking Lot. (An additional kiosk will be installed in Washington Park this summer after the park undergoes a renovation project.) There are two additional panels on the major kiosks that have space available for postings. This area will be used to advertise events taking place in the City. The minor kiosks are installed at the DNR dam, the county marina, and at the City parking lot on the corner of Huron and Division streets. The minor kiosks display a map. All of the kiosks are meant to familiarize the pedestrian with downtown Cheboygan by depicting on a map where the pedestrian is and where particular amenties are located.

A sign was installed at the end of VFW Road and M-27 that simply states “Downtown Cheboygan” with a left arrow. This sign is intended to direct traffic heading to Cheboygan from the expressway. This sign, along with the two “Welcome to Cheboygan” signs illustrate that Downtown Cheboygan is a place to be.

Plans are on the horizon to install signs on the footbridge. When this happens, we will have signage at every entrance to downtown whether it’s by trail, road or river!

 As of today, Downtown Cheboygan has over 1,200 fans on facebook and it grows daily.  As much fun and entertaining as it is, social networking has become a part of our lives similar to reading the newspaper or watching the news.

A recent survey stated that 70% of business owners use Facebook to market. Facebook has surpassed Google by 66% as the most widely used marketing method among local merchants. Have you looked at the local businesses who have a Facebook page? If so, have you become a fan or “liked” that page?  Businesses are smart; it is not expensive to have a presence on Facebook and the rewards for the businesses and the consumer are great. Businesses are able to get the word out about their latest sales promotion or new product line and consumers are privy to all of the latest and greatest information from their favorite local spots. In some situations, consumers will post an update raving about the business and this is great public relations for the businesses. Facebook invites the consumers to connect with a business on a more intimate level, which helps the business create another layer of customer loyalty.

Local businesses should embrace social media in their marketing plans. The buzz hasn’t died down and it keeps growing. If you are a user of Facebook, please become a fan of the Downtown Cheboygan page and support your local Downtown businesses. If you are not familiar with Facebook, check it out at www.facebook.com.

2010 was certainly a busy year for downtown Cheboygan!

• The City received a grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) for the former F.W. Woolworth building. Funds will be used to demolish the former Woolworth building and construct an outdoor events pavilion on the site.

• The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) implemented a retail subsidy program to assist new businesses by offering reduced rent for commercial property in the downtown area. Under this program, the DDA, landlord and new business owner would share in the rent cost on a incremental basis over a two-year period. Offering a new business a reduced rent during their crucial first two years assists the business by giving them the freedom to focus on strengthening their business and not strap them down with a full rent payment.

• A commercial litter vacuum was purchased for the Parks & Recreation department to be used to clean the downtown sidewalks and gutters.

• Downtown Cheboygan embraced social networking and created a Facebook page to communicate with “fans” of Downtown Cheboygan. Currently, there are 1,200 fans of Downtown Cheboygan on Facebook.

• Downtown beautification efforts were provided by private organizations as well as partnerships with the DDA. Seedums Garden Club provided flower baskets with cooperation from the City Parks & Recreation department in watering the flowers on a daily basis. Citizens National Bank provided financial support for the flowers on Main Street, while BKC Insurance beautified the Water Street parking lot by providing flower baskets and maintaining the landscaping.

• A Grand Opening Ceremony took place on both sides of the Cheboygan River in May to commemorate the footbridge. Members of City Council and the DDA Board worked hard at the grill to serve up hotdogs to the crowd. The Cheboygan Little League teams paraded across the bridge and some even had ball games that day in Major City Park. Over 100 community members enjoyed the day beside the footbridge for food, music, and entertainment.

• Over 30 businesses announced specials or discounts in a Downtown coupon booklet. The savings were either a specific percentage off a purchase or a dollar amount off a minimum purchase.

• The Summer Street Fair was held the second Saturday in July. Main Street was closed for two blocks to accommodate a velcro wall, mountain climb, several bounce houses and obstacles courses, food, arts & crafts show, basketball shoot-out, juggler/magician and Art Without Borders painting project. Ronald McDonald, Chalk the Walk and DOWNTOWN IDOL were held in Washington Park.

• The Downtown Music Festival was held in the parking lot of Citizens National Bank under a giant big top. 300 attendees enjoyed the music stylings of five bands from country to rock to blues who performed on the stage the fourth week in July.

• Downtown merchants offered end-of-the-summer deals on merchandise during the three-day August sidewalk sales event.

• Downtown businesses welcomed 1,200 trick-or-treaters on October 29th from 3-5 pm.

• Downtown retailers held Hospitality Night in December. Stores provided refreshments, music and one-night only specials. A mystery elf wandered the streets and gave away over $700 in gift certificates to downtown restaurants and retail stores.

• A series of wayfinding signs and directional kiosks were installed throughout downtown Cheboygan to welcome and direct visitors throughout the City.

You really cannot escape talk of the economy; from the minute you turn on the news or pick up a newspaper, you can guarantee that there will be some kind of report about the economy. The state of the economy is constantly on everyone’s mind from the small business owner on Main Street to the community bank president to the stay-at-home mom who is trying to manage the family’s daily finances. Everyone is concerned because we all need to see a stronger economy at the national, state and local levels.

Downtown Cheboygan’s vacancy rate is currently 15%. This number may surprise you, but actually we are sitting better than we have in the past few years. Two years ago our vacancy rate was 20% so we are seeing some progress. Could this mean our local economy is starting to improve?

Filling the vacant storefronts on Main Street is a goal, but we should use the time of vacant properties as a window of opportunity. We need to determine who the downtown consumers are, what they want to buy, when they will buy, and how they will be shopping. All of these factors are so important to business and economic development.

Currently, the nation’s average shopper bases their shopping decision on necessity, price, and what kind of deal they will receive. Let’s face it… most households are managed by women. This means the woman controls the purse strings and those are the customers retailers want to target. We need to find out what types of products or services women in Cheboygan desire. In 2009, the Cheboygan DDA hired a consultant who surveyed a sample size of the area regarding their shopping preferences. The top five establishments included family style restaurants, entertainment, shoe store, bakery, and everyday women’s clothing store. On a national level, downtown retail is looking at Generation X (the “30-somethings”) and Generation Y (teens to mid-20s) consumers. These consumers search for places to socialize and be entertained and retail stores with extended hours.

Today’s consumers are smart. They are using their time wisely and are professionals at multi-tasking. They are finding ways to integrate their shopping into their daily activities. Downtown businesses have the chance to capture the consumers when they are coming from home on to their next stop. Businesses can attract the commuters who come into the downtown district for every day non-shopping purposes. Everyone has to eat or run to the post office or to the banks. Why not capture that audience while they are here in downtown Cheboygan?

We center much of our activities around snow in the winter. We have so much to occupy our spare time in the winter with ice fishing, skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, hockey games, ice skating, and snowmobiling. The snowmobile industry pumps money into our local economy. The snowmobilers buy their gas here; they dine in our restaurants and stay in our hotels. You could say snowmobiling is the lifeblood of our winter economy.

According to the Cheboygan Chamber of Commerce, the snowmobilers who travel to Cheboygan for a snowmobile vacation come from all over the state. To make a positive impact on these visitors, snow removal is necessary. Not only does the removal of snow from the sidewalks make Downtown a safe, walkable community, but it also give the impression that we are open for business. Snow on the sidewalks depicts the image that Cheboygan is closed for business… which is no where near the truth. Let’s work together to keep Downtown Cheboygan’s sidewalks snow-free. The customers will thank you for it!