Check out the new Wilmington Visitors Guide

Our friends at the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau have published their new Visitors Guide.

Whether you've been in Wilmington all of your life, or have just come here recently, or are considering coming here in the future, you will want a copy of this exciting and informative guide.

This guide covers everything from our great restaurants to rich history to fun community events.

To download a copy of the guide, click here.

To request a hard copy of the guide, click here.

Oh, and be sure to share the guide with your friends.

Marty

A meeting you don't want to miss

Back in February, I was part of the group that announced the new Downtown Development District plan - designed to encourage investments in our downtown area.

On Friday, August 21, there will be a meeting to go over the plan, including some changes that make it easier to participate.

I would encourage everyone to take some time and attend this meeting.

Hope to see you there.

Marty

More good news about starting a business in Wilmington

The good news about Downtown Wilmington continues!

Just days after being named one of the top cities for starting a business by Entrepreneur Magazine, we find out that Wilmington has been named a winner of the U.S. Small Business Administration's first ever "Startup in a Day" contest which carries a $50,000 prize to support business development.

Mayor Dennis Williams, Wilmington Economic Development Director Jeff Flynn, and Small and Minority Business Office Manager Denita Thomas all deserve kudos for their work in making this happen.

Marty

P.S. You can click here to see the full press release about this award.

Wilmington Named A Top City For Business

Have you heard about this? Wilmington, Delaware has been named as one of the top cities in the country for starting a business by Entrepreneur Magazine!

I'm just going to quote from the article:

In the study, analysts reviewed 463 cities with populations from 50,000 and 100,000 to find some of the best climates in the country for entrepreneurship.

The analysis looks at business environment, reviewing average revenue per business, the number of businesses, and the percentage of businesses with paid employees. Researchers also studied economic factors like annual income, housing costs and unemployment rate data from the U.S. Census.

Careful review of these factors drove cities like Alpharetta, Georgia, with a population of approximately 60,000 to the top of this list. Other top small cities include Redmond, Washington and Wilmington, Delaware.

You can read the full article by clicking here.

It is great to be recognized for all of the incredible things happening here in Downtown Wilmington!

Marty

Business training and tips at the Wilmington Library

Our friend Carl Shaw with the Wilmington Library Inspiration Station continues to put together valuable and useful workshops for everyone in our Downtown area.

Here's the latest offerings:

Next Wednesday July 29@11:30am- Talking Twitter for Business by Randi Penfil of Constant Contact

More small business owners are using Social Media Marketing to reach new customers and develop their brands.  Learn how to get started with your Social Media Marketing Campaign & prepare for success! (Interactive session with computers available)

Thursday August 6@11am- Coaching Tips for Managers and Business Leaders by Author and Career Coach Mary Schaefer

In this lively and practical session, you will learn tips to engage with employees, partners and associates so that you really hear what they are saying and set the stage for them to hear you!

Thursday August 20@10:30am- Optimizing Your Business with LinkedIn by Video Conference from Georgetown Library

This session will provide an overview of the LinkedIn Platform and how you and your business can benefit from using it effectively just a few minutes a day.  Workshop conducted by Occupational Consultant, Mary Sherwood.

I hope you'll take advantage of these opportunities to learn more and do more to grow our Downtown Wilmington.

Marty