This two and a-half day intense training program promotes a thorough understanding of entrepreneurship as a vital economic development strategy for communities. Main Street volunteers, locally elected officials, stakeholders, MS managers and residents will walk away from the training with tools and a strategy on how the community can become entrepreneur friendly, which will help attract new businesses and improve their current businesses.

• Expectation: This three-day, in-depth training, is provided at a centralized location (often Lansing) and engages local MS stakeholders with entrepreneurial experts. It is required that at least four people listed below attend, and hotel expenses are covered by MMSC. 
• Intended Audience: MS Manager, economic restructuring committee members, entrepreneurial stakeholders (municipal staff, chambers, libraries, schools, colleges, etc.) 

This is a two-part service consisting of a workshop and consultation service component that assists downtown retailers to determine the best ways to manage their inventories, improve their floor plans and merchandising as a whole so that customers see more of the available products. This workshop helps merchants develop a visual image that is appropriate for the customers they want to attract. This service specifically assists downtown retailers in devising their own merchandising plan with a polished image. The consultation includes a one-on-one, in-store merchandising service. A written report summarizing the consultation will be provided to merchant clients within two weeks of the visit.

• Expectation: This 1.5 day service engages community retail stakeholders with a national consultant. Day 1 consists of a public presentation lasting two hours. Day 2 consists of one-hour, personal, in-store consultations with local retailers, scheduled and coordinated by the MS Manager. A meeting room, projector and screen are required for the public presentation.
• Intended Audience: MS Manager, economic restructuring and design committee members, retail business owners/ managers/ employees, interested volunteers.

This intensive, interactive training teaches participants about the process of Community Initiated Development (CID.) During the CID seminar, attendees will become knowledgeable about each step of the development process. Using a real-life, redevelopment model, participants learn how to become active leaders or partners in the commercial development process; how to attract private-sector investment; how to make the decisions and develop the strategies necessary to undertake a successful project.

• Expectation: This three-day, in-depth training, is provided at a centralized location (often Lansing) and engages local MS stakeholders with a national consultant. It is required that at least four people listed below attend, and hotel expenses are covered by MMSC. 
• Intended Audience: MS Manager, economic restructuring committee members, developers, local Economic Development Corporation or Community Development Organization staff, interested volunteers.

After a community achieves accreditation for the first time at the State and National levels, communities are provided with a technical assistance training topic of their choice. These trainings are done with National Main Street Center staff or consultants who are experts in the topic of choice.

• Expectation: Upon initial accreditation, the local MS program will decide on a training topic of interest to the community. MMSC staff will facilitate the training, but it will be the responsibility of the local program to provide necessary space and equipment.
• Intended Audience: Dependant on training.

The purpose of the Year-End Assessment is to determine the progress the local Main Street program is making in the fulfillment of its vision, mission and work plan. The Assessment Team will use three primary tools to measure progress - the local programs’ self-evaluation, the annual report and interviews with the board, committees and municipality.

• Expectation: This service engages local MS program staff and volunteers with MMSC Staff in a series of interview meetings. The meeting with the board lasts 1.5 hours, the manager meeting lasts one hour, and each committee meeting lasts one half hour. Maximum attendance is highly recommended. The MS Manager will not attend the board and committee meetings.
• Intended Audience: MS Manager, all board members, 5-7 members per committee, municipal staff.

The Quarterly Trainings provide an excellent opportunity for local Main Street managers and volunteers to network with each other to discuss unique events, current challenges and successful solutions being developed in their community. The trainings also provide training on specific topics relating to downtown issues and Main Street program activities. The trainings are held in a different community each time, giving all participants a better understanding of each other’s downtowns. 

• Expectation: This training and networking service is held quarterly and lasts 1.5 days. Travel is required as this opportunity is held on a rotating basis within participating MS communities. Day 1, a half-day session, engages all local MS Managers with MMSC staff in a session of networking and business. Day 2, a full day, engages local MS Managers and volunteers with MMSC staff and consultants in a session of networking and training. The summer session is the National Main Street Conference and the fall session is the Michigan Downtown Conference.
• Intended Audience: Day One = MS Manager; Day Two = MS Manager, board and committee members, volunteers in general.

Main Street Building Basics is an educational workshop to help Design Committee members, property and business owners and local citizens understand the basic principles behind historic preservation and design. The presentation discusses the history of downtowns and how they have evolved over time, typical downtown building styles, common problems and design solutions. Also discussed are the Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, which provide the guidelines for maintaining unique qualities of historic buildings while also making them functional for today's needs. 

• Expectation: This two-hour service is provided several times per year; offered as both a webinar and onsite within communities. A meeting room, projector and screen are required for onsite presentations.
• Intended Audience: MS Manager, property owners interested in Design Services, design committee, Historic District Commission, local historians, building inspectors, any MS volunteers.

Researching and understanding the commercial district’s market is an essential step in developing appropriate, effective strategies to revitalize traditional business districts. Market research should be the driving force behind business development projects, marketing efforts and even physical improvements. MMSC staff and consultants will assist the community in creating a comprehensive market study including houseing for their downtown.

• Expectation: This consultant-driven service involves community members in a series of public meetings and focus groups. The members of the local board and economic restructuring committee will be most engaged, required to provide background data and conduct various surveys including phone and intercept surveys.
• Intended Audience: MS Manager, all board members, 5-7 Economic Restructuring committee members, and as needed: municipal staff property owners, business owners, residents and other downtown stakeholders.

The purpose of the Resource Team visit is to assist local leaders and downtown stakeholders formulate viable strategies for revitalizing their downtown and for making the best and most efficient use of available financial and human resources. Over the course of four days, the Resource Team will examine information about the community’s downtown, study current work plans, interview key members of the community and the Main Street program, meet with municipal leaders, discuss ideas, and finally, suggest a set of strategies for local action.

• Expectation: This lengthy, four-day process engages community members with MMSC staff and four national consultants. This service requires rooms for concurrent meetings, and a large number of community members (and participants listed below) to take part in focus groups, interviews and tours. In addition, there is a public reception (first night) and public presentation (last night) at which community member attendance is highly encouraged. The MS Manager needs to begin planning and scheduling activities several months in advance, but will not be attendance for most meetings during the four days.
• Intended Audience: MS Manager, all board members, 5-7 committee members per committee, municipal staff, property owners, business owners, employees, residents, service organizations and partner organizations.

Volunteers are the key to any successful Main Street program. This training is designed to help local programs recruit, retain and manage volunteers, as well as assist with necessities like volunteer job descriptions, liability release forms, cultivating a good volunteer, dealing with problem volunteers and more. 

• Expectation: This two-hour service engages local program volunteers with MMSC staff, held in the community at a time most convenient for maximum attendance. A meeting room, projector and screen are required.
• Intended Audience: MS Manager, all board members, 5-7 members per committee (specifically organization committee), other volunteers (property owners, business owners, employees, residents, and service organization members.)

The Work Plan Development workshop is designed to assist Main Street committees to develop their work plans and learn the work planning process. The "Work Plan" is intended to be an implementation document detailing specific goals, objectives, budgets and activities with benchmarks for measuring achievements. Each of the four Main Street committees is required to have a work plan.

• Expectation: This two-day, four-hour per committee, service engages committee members with MMSC staff, and their attendance is crucial. Committees must bring the “wish-list” developed during Individual Committee Training (see above). This “wish-list’ will be converted to work plans; with a chair assigned to each viable project, and volunteers assigned to project tasks. At least one work plan will be completed during this training session, or the committee will need to complete on their own. A meeting room, projector and screen are required.
• Intended Audience: MS Manager, all members per committee.

What is the Main Street manager's role, and what is the best way to accomplish the functions of the position? This orientation session for new managers of local Main Street programs includes an overview of the Main Street Four-Point Approach®; explains the roles and responsibilities of staff, board and committees; offers strategies for the effective management of a local Main Street program; and addresses participants' questions regarding Main Street program management.

• Expectation: This two-hour service engages the MS in order to clearly understand the role of the local staff person. Training opportunity is held in a central location, often Lansing, or in the community for new managers, so travel may be required.
• Intended Audience: MS Manager.

In order for committee members to do their jobs well, they need to have a clear understanding of the Main Street Four-Point Approach®, the Guiding Principles, their roles and responsibilities, as well as an understanding of how their committee interacts with other committees and the Main Street program as a whole. This training session works with members of all four committees and covers committee roles and responsibilities; committee interaction with staff; and techniques for committee effectiveness, interaction, budgeting and project development.

• Expectation: This service lasts 1.5 days, with each committee training lasting 2.5 hours, and engages members of each committee with MMSC staff. This crucial service requires significant attendance, as extensive training, best practices, and a “wish-list” are covered. A meeting room, projector and screen are required.
• Intended Audience: MS Manager, all committee members.

The Main Street board of directors bear a great responsibility for the success of their local Main Street program. Board members must have a clear understanding of the Main Street Four-Point Approach® and its Guiding Principles, as well as how a local program operates as a whole. This orientation session, developed for the board of directors, covers the board’s primary legal and programmatic responsibilities, individual members’ responsibilities, function of staff and keys to creating and maintaining a healthy organization.

• Expectation: This crucial, two-hour service engages local program board members with MMSC staff; introductions, training, and best practices are covered. A meeting room, projector and screen are required.
• Intended Audience: MS Manager, all board members. Committee chairs are welcome as MMS sees fit.

The Base-Line Assessment Visit is an evaluative service normally performed in the first year of a local Main Street programs inclusion as a Selected Level community. The primary purpose of the assessment is to introduce and explain the Main Street program to the community and to review and assess the progress the community has made in establishing and developing their local Main Street program. In addition, this visit is designed to assist each community in determining the best strategies in organizing its Main Street program.

• Expectation: This lengthy, two-day process engages community members with MMSC staff and a national consultant. This service requires rooms for meetings and a large number of community members (and participants listed below) to take part in focus groups and interviews. The MS Manager, if hired by service start date, needs to begin planning and scheduling activities ASAP, and may be attendance for several meetings during the two days.
• Intended Audience: MS Manager (if hired), all board members, 5-7 committee members per committee, municipal staff, property owners, business owners, employees, residents, service organizations, partner organization and others that MMS or the local community feel necessary.

Michigan Main Street staff are available to assist with all aspects of the Main Street Manager selection process upon request. The Michigan Main Street program will offer sample job descriptions, job postings, applicant interview questions and assist with interviews and selection.

Communities that become part of the Michigan Main Street program are provided a description of all services offered during the next five years and the schedule of trainings. Also outlined during orientation are the expectations and requirements described in the program agreement from both the community and MMS program

• Expectation: MMSC is providing this service as a webinar or workshop in order to make it easier on volunteers. Therefore, attendance by as many people as possible is recommended.
• Intended Audience: Community’s primary MS contact person, hosting organization board members, potential committee chairs.

To provide the local program's Main Street Manager with specialized training and networking opportunities, MMSC pays the conference registration fee for the National Main Street Conference, which takes place across the country every spring.

To help the local program get started, MMSC provides all Selected Level Michigan Main Street communities with a reference library consisting of more than 20 resources. These materials cover everything from the basics of the 4 Point Approach^TM to historic preservation to business recruitment.  

Once a community reaches the Selected Level, MMSC provides them with two, large road signs to be placed within their Main Street area, announcing the community to be a designated Michigan Main Street community.

Networking with other Michigan Main Street communities is invaluable. As a Selected Level Michigan Main Street community, local Main Street programs gain acceess to the Michigan Main Street Listserv.

MMSC staff will annually review the local Main Street program to provide guidance and suggestions for improvement. If a local program is functioning on all levels required by the NMSC, a community will reach accreditation, that is, being recognized as a Main Street community at the national level.