Main Street in the Heat: How Institutions Can Help Small Businesses Beat the Rising Temperatures
On this Fourth of July, if you’re lucky, you’re standing on a shaded curb watching a Main Street parade—a celebration of local pride, community spirit, and the heartbeat of America: our small businesses.
But behind the scenes, many of those beloved businesses are struggling with a different kind of heat—one that’s breaking records, blowing out power grids, and eating away at already-thin margins. Extreme heat is not just a summer inconvenience. It’s a growing climate risk that can derail small business operations, endanger worker health, and stall local economies.
The Heat Is On—And It's a Business Risk
Extreme heat disrupts business in powerful ways:
Cooling costs spike, especially in older buildings.
HVAC systems, servers, and refrigeration units are pushed to failure.
Outdoor foot traffic plummets, reducing customer flow.
Staff productivity drops—and health risks rise.
Delicate products like cosmetics, food, or pharmaceuticals spoil.
Even roads and infrastructure buckle, delaying deliveries and service.
When a heatwave hits, businesses need more than portable fans and ice buckets. They need resilience—and the institutions that support them need to step up.
Institutions Have a Role to Play
Cities, business networks, chambers of commerce, economic development groups, and corporate partners all have a critical part in preparing Main Street for rising temperatures. Here’s how:
🔹 Cities and State Agencies
Distribute Heat Response Templates tailored for small businesses. Encourage 1–2 page plans that include cooling zones, adjusted hours, and staff protocols.
Offer grants or incentives for heat-mitigating upgrades like reflective roofing, shade structures, or HVAC retrofits.
Expand cooling centers to include commercial districts, especially in neighborhoods where worker heat exposure is high.
🔹 Corporate and Anchor Institutions
Activate vendor resilience programs that help small suppliers upgrade facilities or secure backup power.
Share climate risk alerts and continuity planning tools with their small business networks.
Fund microgrants for heat preparedness—like sensors, portable AC units, or safety signage.
🔹 Chambers, Small Business Development Centers, and Main Street Programs
Train small business owners on heat resilience through seasonal preparedness webinars.
Create resilience checklists and distribute through newsletters or local events.
Map vulnerable businesses and coordinate with public health and emergency services during heat emergencies.
🔹 Philanthropic and Nonprofit Partners
Support weatherization programs for minority- and women-owned businesses.
Fund local cooling initiatives for business corridors—think hydration stations or midday street closures to reduce heat exposure.
Provide free or subsidized tech like smart thermostats and temperature monitors for small operators
Heat Is Now a Yearly Challenge—Let’s Treat It Like One
Main Street America isn’t just charming—it’s vital. Every independent restaurant, salon, repair shop, and day care helps hold the local economy together. Let’s make sure they don’t sweat through another summer unprepared.
This holiday, while we honor our nation’s independence and ingenuity, let’s also invest in the resilience of those who keep our communities running—because extreme heat doesn’t take a holiday.