Disclosures: Valley Community Development will follow strict rules to protect your confidentiality. The personal data collected below including name, street address, email address and any other personally identifiable information is protected by the Data Privacy Act. You will never be named in any reports. Your responses may be looked at individually by the funding source, or contractors hired by the funding source to collect and analyze data, your name or street address will not be reported. Income, city, state, zip code, family size, and other demographic data will be reported. Contractors of HUD/DHCD or any City/State agency are covered by the same Data Privacy Act requirements to protect your privacy and staff must demonstrate that they have systems in place to protect against data disclosure.
Thank you for your interest in the Main Street Move-In Program sponsored by Valley Community Development and the City of Northampton. (Funding for these spots was secured through the City’s ARPA funds). Congratulations on taking this step to level up your business! This program is designed to help existing business owners to move in and open in the downtown Northampton and Florence business district area to fill open storefronts, restaurant spaces, and office spaces. This eight-week multi-format program will provide information on how owners can build a business dashboard to assess the potential success they could have by moving into a downtown location and maintaining this success.
The Program
The Main Street Move-In Program will meet for 8 weeks. Each week, participants are expected to attend three sessions: a group Learning Session, a Peer Group Session, and a 1:1 Advising Session (4 hours a week).
Learning Session Dates:
Opening Session: Weds., May 31, 2023, from 12:30pm-2pm
Tues., June 6, 2023, from 12:30pm-2pm
Tues., June 13, 2023, from 12:30pm-2pm
Tues., June 20, 2023, from 12:30pm-2pm
Tues., June 27, 2023, from 12:30pm-2pm
No session on Tues, July 4, 2023
Tues., July 11, 2023, from 12:30pm-2pm
Tues., July 18, 2023, from 12:30pm-2pm
Closing Session: Tues., July 25, 2023, from 12:30pm-2pm
Peer Group Sessions
Peer Group Sessions will be held from 1:30pm-3pm on the dates listed below.
The time will depend on the number of accepted applicants.
Thurs., June 1, 2023
Thurs., June 8, 2023
Thurs., June 15, 2023
Thurs., June 22, 2023
Thurs., June 29, 2023
No session on Thurs, July 6, 2023
Thurs., July 13, 2023
Thurs., July 20, 2023
Thurs., July 27, 2023
Advising Sessions
Advising Sessions are 1:1 with program facilitators and will be scheduled individually with each participant. They may be up to 1 hour in length per week.
Criteria for Program Participation
Need to be present for all classes, peer group, and advising sessions
Ability to participate with audio and video over Zoom
Have been in business and generating sales for 1+ year(s)*
Planning to move your business to (or open an additional location in) the downtown Northampton or Florence business district
Provide 2021 or 2022 business tax return and/or current Profit & Loss Statement
Willing to participate in a peer setting
*Preference will be given to businesses that are generating a NET PROFIT