Small Business Resources
Are you a new or existing business located in Downtown Harrisonburg? You’re not in this alone! HDR is here to support you in a variety of ways.
Direct Business Assistance
Whether you need financial assistance to make your business a destination, or need expert help and access to training, HDR can help by offering:
Free expert design assistance to help with your facade, signage, or interior space
Free or low-cost trainings and workshops
Bricks & Clicks – free one-on-one technical consultations and grants up to $5000 for digital marketing and website projects or physical modifications to your bricks-and-mortar building
Free marketing consultations and check-ups with HDR staff
Brainstorming ways to integrate your business into events
Sharing additional resources from our entrepreneurial ecosystem partners and state organizations
Destination Marketing
We run various marketing campaigns all year to keep downtown in the minds of customers and to capture the attention of new customers, including:
Taste of Downtown Restaurant Month every March
Support local campaigns and contests with prizes
Holiday shopping promotions with events, an annual shopping guide, TV/streaming/print ads, social media campaigns, and giveaways
Special events to drive foot traffic and boost exposure to new customers
Social media spotlights on businesses & their offerings as well as website blogs
Bi-weekly e-newsletter featuring downtown news
Online event calendar for recurring and special events at downtown establishments
Weekly WSVA radio segments about what's happening around downtown
Communication / Resource Sharing
We send regular emails to business owners and managers to share timely news about downtown, announce grants, share resources, and other information to keep you in the loop about everything happening downtown. Contact us to join this list. We also convene the downtown business community at least one a quarter, which is announced in these emails.
Making Connections
Need something we don’t offer? HDR doesn’t do it all, but we have a great network of partners. If you want to partner with another business or community member to make something happen, let us know! We might have recommendations or a contact for you.
Get in touch with us.
Looking for a space downtown?
Whether you would like to open a business in Downtown Harrisonburg, your business is expanding, or you’d like to relocate, reach out to HDR! We often know of commercials spaces that haven't been listed yet or can help make connections so you can find the perfect space. We also can meet with entrepreneurs to talk about downtown, what business ideas could be successful, typical customer profiles, and discuss other information that can help you decide if locating in downtown is for you.