Survey Input Needed To Help Drive The Local Water Valley Economy
By Mickey Howley
Your Main Street Association needs your input, knowledge and daily life experience to help us drive the local Water Valley economy. Working with Dr. Rachael Carter of Mississippi State University, we have designed a locally focused economic survey to gauge how people here shop and spend. We did something like this a bit over a decade ago, and the opinion as to what people wanted and how money was staying or leaving was critical information used by a good number of people to invest and go into business downtown. But information like that has a shelf life; it is rather ephemeral, and the economic situation of a decade ago is not the same as it is now.
Not only are we doing a survey, but we’re also having a Work Plan Workshop to create an action plan for the Main Street program for 2021 and beyond. The first step in helping craft an achievable action plan that will help spur further downtown revitalization is this survey.
By taking five minutes now to fill out this Water Valley specific MSU Economic pattern survey, you are helping us plan to succeed. To get the online survey, click https://msudafvm.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3wtlO8I4Ah47Myy
Just a few pointers: the survey won’t ask you for personal information like your name or where you live; it will ask how old you are (roughly) and some basic demographic details. We know people shop differently depending on how old they are. The survey will ask your opinion on things like what types of businesses you’d like to see in Water Valley, and what would you suggest to improve Water Valley? It will also ask you, in a number of different categories, where you shop. Do you buy certain items here, in Oxford, in Batesville or elsewhere? Do you shop online and for what items?
The reason for the survey is to hopefully benefit the local tax base, increase retail and create a greater selection of goods and services. It is part of the drive for making the local economy stronger – keeping local money local benefits everyone. And most of all, this survey can lead to employing people who live here; that’s right – jobs.
Please put the May 11 workshop on your calendar and join us from 9 a.m. until noon in the Pocket Park for more input, examining survey results, and sharing ideas.
Our partners in this are the state Main Street organization, Mississippi State University Extension Service, and the Mississippi Hill Heritage area.
