Past Webinars

Browse recordings of past webinars to catch up on valuable
information you missed the first time around.

Annual Planning

Presenter(s): Beth Rich and Mary Liz Curtin

Heart on Main Street is proud to present the first edition of our Main Street Matters webinar series. Joining us will be retailers Beth Rich (Mix It Up Home in Couer d’Alene, ID) and Mary Liz Curtin (Leon & Lulu in Clawson, MI) to discuss best practices for planning out the year with a retail store.

Recorded: February 22, 2023 View Recording


Social Media Strategies that Drive Foot Traffic

Presenter(s): Crystal Vilkaitis

Heart on Main Street welcomes the founder of Crystal Media, Crystal Vilkaitis to the Main Street Matters webinar to discuss social media strategies that drive foot traffic for retailers.

Recorded: March 22, 2023 View Recording


Job Postings for Retail Positions

Presenter(s): Bob Negen

In a recent survey of independent retailers, we found that the most pressing issue in today's retail climate is the ability to hire and retain help in the retail store. Bob Negen, founder of WhizBang Retail Training, joins Heart on Main Street's Main Street Matters webinar to discuss best practices in interviewing and hiring for retail positions.

Recorded: April 24, 2023 View Recording


Attending a Trade Show

Presenter(s): Beth Rich and Mary Liz Curtin

The Main Street Matters webinar welcomes back retailers Mary Liz Curtin and Beth Rich to discuss how they prepare for show season and their approach to visiting different vendors at a trade show.

Recorded: May 24, 2023 View Recording


Winning Her Business Customer Experience Strategies for Independent Retailers

Presenter(s): Bridget Brennan

Bridget Brennan, the founder of Female Factor and world-renowned author, joins the Main Street Matters webinar to talk about customer experience strategies to appeal to your most influential customers, females!

Recorded: June 28, 2023 View Recording


Interviewing for Retail Positions

Presenter(s): Bob Negen

So, you have people that have applied to a job posting for your retail store; how do you construct interviews to ensure you make the best hire possible? WhizBang! Retail Training founder, Bob Negen, joins the Main Street Matters webinar to discuss interviewing for retail positions. This is a follow-up to our April webinar, where Bob talked about creating a "Red Hot Help Wanted Ad" to attract the right people to apply for your positions.

Recorded: August 9, 2023 View Recording


Visual Merchandising Techniques for Retailers

Presenter(s): Lyn Falk and Suzanne Rafenstein

Effective visual merchandising allows your products to stand out from the crowd and can set your store apart. But truly good visual merchandising is a skill that has to be learned. Lyn Falk and Suzanne Rafenstein of Retailworks Inc. join the Main Street Matters webinar to discuss visual merchandising techniques that all retailers should know about!

Recorded: August 23, 2023 View Recording


How to get your ERC Refund

Presenter(s): Toni Ivey

The ERC (Employee Retention Credit) is a stimulus government aid program established by the CARES Act. It is a refundable tax credit- a grant, not a loan- that businesses can claim and recoup up to $26,000 per employee. It is money that is set aside for you! However, because of the complicated nature of the filing process, most businesses have not taken advantage of this. Join Toni Ivey of OmegaNet Inc to find out how you can get your tax credit that you're entitled to. Use link https://ercfilenow.com/r/heartonmains... to schedule a call with an ERC expert.

Recorded: September 6, 2023 View Recording


Harness the Power of Live Video Selling

Presenter(s): Carolyn Williamson

Selling products through social media and live selling is the newest trend to increase sales and reach more customers. But it can be intimidating and difficult if you don't know how to do it effectively. Carolyn Williamson from Comment Sold joins the Main Street Matters webinar to talk about the power of live selling and why you, as a retailer, need to jump on this trend.

Recorded: September 26, 2023 View Recording


Achieving Financial Freedom with Management One

Presenter(s): Dane Cohen

Retailers start their businesses to make money, but a lot goes on behind the scenes to make that dream a reality. Dane Cohen of Management One joins the Main Street Matters Webinar to talk about how you can achieve financial freedom while running your retail store. Learn expert tips to manage your inventory and protect your bottom line even in difficult financial times. As Taylor Swift has taught us, people are willing to pay if we create a band that people want.

Recorded: October 11, 2023 View Recording


Creating Great Retail Window Displays for the Holiday Season

Presenter(s): Amy Meadows

Creating great window displays can attract eyes and bring in new customers, especially around the holidays. Join Amy Meadows of Windows Matter and the Main Street Matters webinar to learn about tips, tactics, and tools that can make your store windows stand out this holiday season. Amy started Windows Matter consulting firm after decades of experience in retail window design and visual merchandising, including being the head designer for the famous Marshall Fields windows in Chicago for 25 years.

Recorded: October 25, 2023 View Recording


Creating Consistent Branding for your Business

Presenter(s): Kaila Piepkow

As a passionate business-owner, you’ve poured your heart and soul into every detail of your brand. But do you feel like your current branding and design reflect that? Kaila Piepkow joins the Main Street Matters webinar to discuss the importance of design and branding for retailers and how to create consistency to help you grow your business.

Recorded: November 29, 2023 View Recording


More Than A Store: How Bick and Mortar Stores Can Gain Online Traction in 2024

Presenter(s): Josh Orr

Recent studies have shown that eCommerce is growing at a faster pace among independent retailers than any other type of retailer. Josh Orr, the founder of Capital Commerce and host of the Retail Initiative Podcast, joins the Main Street Matters webinar as one of the leading voices in eCommerce today. He specializes in helping brick-and-mortar retailers gain traction in their online sales. Join us to learn how you can grow your eCommerce presence for your retail store.

Recorded: December 13, 2023 View Recording


Emerging Trends with Erica Kirkland from GiftBeat

Presenter(s): Erica Kirkland

New fashions. New colors. New products. New trends. The beginning of a new year means everything is new again! Erica Kirkland, owner of GiftBeat Magazine, joins the Main Street Matters webinar to talk about new trends in products for the new year!

Recorded: January 24, 2024 View Recording Download PDF


More traffic does NOT mean more sales

Presenter(s): Cathy Donovan Wagner

Join Cathy Donovan Wagner from RETAILMavens as she debunks the myth that more people through your door automatically translates to increased sales. You’ll learn why focusing on more profit rather than more traffic is the solution you’ve been looking for.

Recorded: February 28, 2024 View Recording Download PDF


Maximizing Revenue Strategies to Boost Customer Purchase Frequency

Presenter(s): Nick McHenry

Transitioning a customer into a repeat customer is an easy way to secure increased revenue. However, it's also easier said than done. Nick McHenry of OneShop Retail joins the Main Street Matters webinar to talk about how to drive revenue by increasing the frequency at which your customers purchase and tips and tricks on how to do this.

Recorded: March 27, 2024 View Recording Download PDF