Epic road trip brings the Small Business Revolution to small towns across the country

Everyone loves a good road trip. Driving from town to town, remarking on the scenery, the people, the stops along the way.

It is exactly the reason there have been so many road trip buddy movies over the years – we like the idea of moving from place to place, gathering experiences and memories. For my team at Deluxe, this will be our third year crossing the country, visiting small towns that need a boost.

In 2016, our Small Business Revolution – Main Street team made it to a handful of towns in about 10 days and it seemed daunting. Then last year, we traveled to eight deserving communities in about 3 weeks. This year, we are taking it up another notch, road-tripping to 10 towns from Jan. 3 to Jan. 26. This will be both exhilarating and exhausting.

Yet if you think about the average road trip you have ever been on, how often do you stop and get out in the small towns you drive through? Not often I bet. Or how often does the highway bypass the towns themselves so that the chance to visit that mom and pop store never happens? Quite often. Unless it is a destination, small towns become a blur in the mirror on your way to the final destination.

After two seasons of the Small Business Revolution – Main Street, the dramatic change in the fortunes of the Main Street business areas of the towns we visited is remarkable. Red Wing, Minnesota, a finalist last year, used the influx of energy from the contest process bringing their community together and has already turned the corner. The momentum from being in the Small Business Revolution last year helped them to zero occupancy in their downtown.

Communities like Frostburg, Maryland, Marietta, Ohio and North Adams, Massachusetts have continued to share stories of success and town pride since last year, highlighting the power of connection and communities coming together.

Wabash, Indiana and Bristol Borough, Pennsylvania, winners of our first two seasons $500,000 makeovers are enjoying incredible revitalizations, as visitors and locals embrace the Main Street culture once again.

I have said from the beginning that one of the most prominent reasons we created this focus on Main Streets in small towns is that nowhere are small businesses more under siege than in small towns. And indeed, every town is different. In some that we visit, the issue may be declining population and a large employer closing. For others, the challenge may rest on the lack of business mix bringing people to Main Street. And in some, it is proximity to big box retailers and national restaurant chains edging out the locally owned stores and restaurants

As with any contest of this nature, the Small Business Revolution – Main Street will reward only one town. Creating new websites, logos, business plans and social media assets will then take those businesses and the community but so far. The real “win” in any scenario is the fact that the spotlight is being shone on small towns to celebrate their abilities, their pride, their sense of community.

Yes, this will be an epic road trip as we cross the country from Oregon to New Hampshire. We will stop in communities that maybe one would have bypassed on a typical road trip and we will stop and celebrate the strength of the small business and how they are the heart and soul of their Main Street. With this program we are advocating for and testing the thesis that if you have a strong small business core - your entire town can thrive.

During this holiday season, we are thankful for our friends and family and work we are privileged to do every day. In a few weeks, we will once again - with boots on the ground - embrace the idea that Main Streets are the heartbeat of our country and we will continue our quest to bring the small businesses in small towns back to the forefront of our economy.