How to market your rural area: focus on rural strengths
For the first time that I can remember, the state’s push for people to consider bringing their business and/or their family to Iowa is not apologizing — it is celebrating all that makes it such a terrific place to live.
Found at Drew’s Marketing Minute.
How to develop more successful entrepreneurs: Library taking business resources and advice to rural areas
I like this idea from York, UK. The library is taking business info out to the rural areas.
Mike Shannon, of Business Link York and North Yorkshire, said: “The service is there to help people in rural locations access business advice without having to travel miles to do so.”
Read more in The Press.
How to grow your population: Helping more people work from home in rural areas
UK’s Enterprise Local program combines a directory, networking events and office services. From 24dash.
Homeworking in the UK is predicted to increase at an annual rate of 18% and by 2010 it is estimated that one third of the British workforce will either run a business from home or be spending part of the working week based in an office at home.
Barriers to success in home enterprise include isolation and detachment, poor perceptions of ‘professionalism’ from customers that if the business is based at home it will be amateurish, lack of suitable work space and poor access to peer networks.
Benefits from more people working from their rural homes will include environmental savings due to reduced commuting, and social improvements due to people spending more time at home.
How to recruit physicians to rural areas: Ideas from Canada
Here’s a snapshot of the pluses and minuses for the physician. You’ll need to know these to recruit successfully.
While living and working in rural Alberta brings many benefits to physicians – such as practising a more comprehensive hands-on style of medicine, contributing to the fabric of a rural community and enjoying the quieter pace of rural living and the beauty of the rural landscapes – practising in small communities can also pose unique challenges for physicians. These may include higher workloads, demanding call schedules, limited access to specialists, and difficult strains on their spouses and children.
To find innovative ways to make it work,the Alberta Rural Physician Action Plan and the Alberta Chambers of Commerce are sponsoring a contest for local communities. Keep an eye on these two websites for more info: www.rpap.ab.ca and www.abchamber.ca.
How to be more like Nebraska: Copy their rural entrepreneurship programs
Southwest Nebraska News gives us a fine list of the outstanding rural entrepreneurship programs in Nebraska.
While you’re at it, copy the Comprehensive Rural Entrepreneurship Program in Oregon
Connecting Oregon for Rural Entrepreneurship (CORE) is a three year project, focused on four aspects of service to the community. Social enterprise, incubators without walls, adult entrepreneurship, and youth entrepreneurship. Read more in the Newport News-Times.
Then, get your region working together on rural development, entrepreneurship, like this example in Colorado
Everything from value-added agriculture to tourism and green energy are under discussion. From The Coloradoan.
One of the goals of the rural economic development program is to identify county regulations that create barriers for rural property owners using their land to generate revenue beyond traditional agriculture, Lancaster said.
More about renewable energy potential in Colorado at Environment Colorado.
How to use urban planning to benefit your people: Connecting public spaces in small towns
Fallon, Nevada, is trying to make the most of their public spaces. They want to provide opportunities for people to gather and experience a sense of community, through their parks, Farmers Market, and local festivals. Then they are looking for ways to tie the public spaces together through streetscaping, trails, or even a public shuttle system.
“We have all these hidden gems in the community,” Taylor said. “Maybe we can link them together.”
“A vibrant downtown is a core component to attracting and keeping young professionals,” said Juliette Taylor, executive director of Churchill Economic Development Authority. She said it’s important for young professionals to have nice places to eat, drink and take their families.
From Lahontan Valley News and Fallon Eagle. Thanks to EDPro, who found it first.
How to get more rural youth to be entrepreneurs: Launch a loan fund for them, give them access to the infrastructure
To keep up the increase in demand for training for the youth, the government is also drawing attention to the cooperative extension services and infrastructure. Read about it in Mmegi Online.
President Mogae said that the money should facilitate the creation of employment through development of sustainable agricultural activities by the youth, not their parents nor government.
How to build more agri-businesses: Try a themed incubator
Networking of the compatible businesses in the incubator will hopefully boost the growth of the cluster. Read about it in the Times Argus.
[Photo of maple syrup agri-business from USDA.]
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Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
Becky,
I agree with you on the Iowa campaign. Rather than trying to be something they can’t possibly sustain — they finally are celebrating who and what they truly are.
Is it as sexy as NYC? Probably not. Is it a great place to have a business or a family? You bet.
They did good!
Thanks to you, Drew, for sharing it!