It’s not just data, it’s success
As a former Executive Director I know that there are days where taking the time to complete one more report is the last thing I want to do. You’ve stared at the numbers so many times that sometimes, without realizing it, you stop realizing just how important they are.
Those reports aren’t just your statistics, they are the story of your success. Each new business, every new employee, all the dollars reinvested back into the downtown are just a few of the many successes that Main Streets report on each and every day.
As an Executive Director I would often hear “I didn’t know that” when I got the opportunity to tell people about our district. They had their own impression of downtown. For some, it was great. For others, it wasn’t what it used to be…so it must be failing. When we told people how many businesses we had, or how many employees worked downtown you could see the lightbulb go on for people. Those revelations lead to more engagement with your district.
People want to be a part of a winning team, and it is our job to tell them that we are that team. Perhaps someone is getting ready to open a new businesses and your story makes them take a second look at downtown. Maybe they are looking to volunteer and when you tell them about how much your organization has done they are convinced to volunteer with you. Or maybe your successes help to win over your city council and your organization is able to secure more funding.
We have built Maestro to have a robust reporting interface that allows you to have these statistics at your fingertips. If you aren’t sure how to utilize them, we encourage you to check out the reporting and advanced search tutorials. Once you’ve mastered running your reports, don’t stop with turning them into a coordinating program…make sure you tell your community about all your successes and leverage those to have even more!