For local businesses: how to get involved
Strong towns and strong local businesses go together. Here’s how you can help.
Families are the first teachers here. You can help make learning fun.
Our purpose is simple: to enrich community life here. We help people learn the town’s history, point them to the square, connect families and local businesses, and help generations learn from each other. Read more about our purpose
Every way to take part is listed below, with what it is, what you’d do, the time it takes and whether it’s running now or coming soon. Pick any, or none. All of it is free.
How it works
- Open to every business, Chamber member or not.
- We use business names only, no personal names unless you ask.
- You approve anything we print about you.
- No photos of people without their written OK.
- Walking tour and history pages never carry ads.
- We work with local groups, not around them.
- Your feedback shapes what we do here.
Ways to take part
Meet your shopkeeper
Now: Answer 5 kids’ questions for the newsletter: how you started, what a day is like, what your building used to be. You answer by email; you see and OK the piece before it runs.
Coming soon: Lawn meetups on the square, where kids meet the people who run the shops.
- You do
- Answer five short questions (now). Later: say hello at a meetup.
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free. No cost, and it isn’t advertising.
- Status
- Now Coming soon
Square History Hunt code word
A family hunt around the square. Your shop keeps a code word at the counter for families who stop in.
- You do
- Keep a code word at the counter and tell it to anyone who asks. No purchase needed.
- Time
- A minute per visit
- Cost
- Free. No cost, and it isn’t advertising.
- Status
- Coming soon
History in your window
An old photo of your building in your window with a short, sourced caption. We supply public-domain prints where available.
- You do
- Pick a spot in the window; we help find the photo and write the caption.
- Time
- An hour to set up
- Cost
- Free. No cost, and it isn’t advertising.
- Status
- Coming soon
Explorer perks
An optional small perk for kids who show a completed History Explorer badge card. Entirely your choice, and never required to take part.
- You do
- Decide whether you’d like to offer something, and what.
- Time
- Your choice
- Cost
- Free. No cost, and it isn’t advertising.
- Status
- Coming soon
Sticker and badge pickup at the counter
Stickers aren’t printed yet. When they are, shops can hand them to kids who earned a badge.
- You do
- Keep a small stack of stickers at the counter.
- Time
- A minute per visit
- Cost
- Free. No cost, and it isn’t advertising.
- Status
- Coming soon
Learn about your building
Help with “What was here?” history: who built your building, what it used to be. Know better than what we have? Tell us.
- You do
- Share what you know, or an old photo or document, by email.
- Time
- As long as you like
- Cost
- Free. No cost, and it isn’t advertising.
- Status
- Now
Keep your free directory listing accurate
Check your listing and fix anything that’s wrong: claim or correct a listing, or add a business that’s missing.
- You do
- Look up your listing and send any fixes.
- Time
- 5 minutes
- Cost
- Free. No cost, and it isn’t advertising.
- Status
- Now
Donate a prize for a puzzle or hunt
Optional: a small prize for a town puzzle or the Square History Hunt.
- You do
- Offer a prize if you’d like. Entirely optional.
- Time
- Your choice
- Cost
- Free. No cost, and it isn’t advertising.
- Status
- Coming soon
Interested? Tell us
See also: All 150 things to do together · Kids’ History Explorer badges · What would you like to see?