South Hill grant aims to boost business district

South Hill merchants figured out ways to keep business going during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, introducing Facebook Live videos from downtown stores that helped people shop from home, then pick up their treasures curbside.

Sometimes featuring a rescue dog named Duncan, the videos have continued even as restrictions are rolled back. Now, the town in Mecklenburg County has received extra help from a $50,000 “Welcome Back to Business” grant the South Hill Chamber of Commerce received in October 2021 from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

With the grant, the chamber is supporting 30 local businesses with façade improvements, mentoring and technical assistance to help owners navigate digital platforms.

“We have a wealth of talent and possibilities in South Hill, and we can help maximize that wealth to benefit businesses and ultimately the community at large,” says Shannon Lambert, the chamber’s executive director. “If people feel welcomed in the community, they’re going to stay in the community and keep their shopping dollars in the community.”

Mary Edmonds, owner of New 2 You Consignment Boutique, had new windows put in with the grant, as well as a new awning and sign that swings over her door. “I designed it — the top of it is a clothes hanger,” she says. “I’ve gotten more businesses complimenting me on that.”

Edmonds says that now that people are returning to town, some new businesses are emerging, including a brewery and a Starbucks. She and other business owners who belong to The Shops of South Hill group have begun telling customers about what other businesses are up to, in hopes of keeping people in town longer.

In short, “stay in town and shop around,” Edmonds says. “By doing that, you’re building a rapport. On Saturdays, we have a lot of out-of-town people.”

That sort of camaraderie is not unexpected in a town that rallied around small businesses during the worst days of the pandemic. Amid widespread shutdowns when people were reluctant to leave home, the South Hill chamber helped start up a temporary delivery service, staffed by volunteers, in order to keep local restaurants and small businesses operating.

“A lot of business owners grew up here,” says Mayor Dean Marion. “To be able to stay here, they have to create ways to attract people to our town and support businesses.”