The State of Indiana is home to dozens of quaint downtowns with “historic charm” and “Mayberry-like” feel. Most of these places try to compete with each other solely on “charm factor.” As in other lines of business, being competitive for downtowns means finding a “market niche” that makes you unique and attractive to users.

Angola has several characteristics that makes it a unique place. The monument / traffic circle / public square, proximity to Tri-State University, functioning downtown movie theatres (two), and location within a part of the State of Indiana that is filled with natural beauty are just some things that set Angola apart. These, along with other potential new markets, must be developed, enhanced and refined to set Angola apart in the marketplace.

Being a business owner is exciting and empowering. Yet few people understand that there are professional standards that must be met to increase the chance for business success and survival. Pride, mis-education and poor management skills are all factors that stop business owners from being successful in the process of actually being professional (and successful) in business.

Downtown Angola will be successful if those who have an entrepreneurial spirit are assisted with professional business development training and education. Current residents, potential visitors and day employees all expect a level of professionalism in order to do business, buy products and use downtown. While the Angola City Government and downtown organizations cannot make businesses be more professional, they can organize and offer tools for business improvement.

Marketing, Branding, Selling, Tourism, Economic Development, Advertising... They all relate to the action of telling a story. Those downtowns that have a clear and understandable story are those that attract the attention of users and find long-term viability and success.

The “story” of Downtown Angola will always be changing. And therein lies, the story...namely, that Angola’s Downtown is adaptable to change; By understanding the past, working in the present, and keeping an eye on the future.

What good is a downtown without people and fun? Great downtowns are not just museums for historic architecture, spaces for offices, or a place for a cup of coffee. They are places that excite and inspire and make a community feel connected to each other through a common location.

As Downtown’s physical environment improves, so will the need for programming to increase and improve. By planning events and activities, users can be exposed to Angola’s Downtown and make lasting connections that will drive them to return for future visits.

Downtown Angola has traditionally been home to small retail stores and professional office spaces. In addition to continued development of retail and office markets, the potential exists to explore other areas such as restaurants, college-related activities, and residential uses. Information “packages” should be developed to expose these potential markets to investors and entrepreneurs. These packages might include: demographic and spending trend data and analysis, real estate location analysis, potential business plan models, etc.

Too many downtown businesses are not fully prepared to face the challenge of business ownership. The regular turn-over of business activities is not good for anyone in downtown. The business owner loses time and investment, the building owner must restart the leasing process, and downtown suffers from the perception of lack of business activity and lost “familiarity” for users. While people cannot be made to learn the art and science of business, steps should be taken to offer education in this field as a prerequisite for public assistance from the City Government or private sector downtown organizations.

The effort to design an identity or brand for Downtown is more than just a logo and tag line development process. It involves the coordination and collaboration of many agencies and organizations that will potentially utilize such materials. While this sort of process is always on-going, the need for a coordinated identity and brand for downtown must be developed.

In today’s world, the internet is the place were people “comparison shop.” In the case of Angola’s Downtown, this means that having a professionally designed web page, which paints a clear and exciting picture of downtown and offers useful and critical information, is essential. www.downtownangola.com might be a suggested web page domain.