• Survey of Rural Challenges
  • Small Town Speaker Becky McCray
  • Shop Local video
  • SaveYour.Town

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS

Stir something up in the Brag Basket

By Small Biz Survival

Every week, I open a new Basket. I call it the Brag Basket, but it’s not really about bragging. It’s about sharing. I started this so you can introduce yourself, share some good news, or congratulate a friend.

The basket is open all weekend, from April 9-11, 2010. And since I’ve been stirring up trouble all week, I think we’ll make that a theme for this one. What trouble have you stirred up, in a good way? Tell us about it!

Of course, regular brags and shares are still welcome. Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others’ stories brings us a bit closer to being a community. 

How does it work? You write a comment on this post, email me, tweet me, or comment on this note on Facebook. You tell something great about your week, or you give applause to someone who did good stuff this week. Or you celebrate something wonderful that you tried that failed.

This is not an ad. (I delete the ads.) It’s a conversation with friends. So jump in. And remember to cheer for each other.

New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates.

  • About the Author
  • Latest by this Author
Small Biz Survival

The rural small business blog. We talk about small town business, with how-to articles, especially on social media marketing and making your community a better place. We use this “author” for announcements and other things you’ll want to know.

www.smallbizsurvival.com
  • Hands-on and experience-based businesses boost local economies
  • Young Americans Returning to Rural for More than Just Holiday Dinners
  • Rural marketing tip: the name is the claim

April 9, 2010 Filed Under: brag basket

Wondering what is and is not allowed in the comments?
Or how to get a nifty photo beside your name?
Check our commenting policy.
Use your real name, not a business name.


Don't see the comment form?
Comments are automatically closed on older posts, but you can send me your comment via this contact form and I'll add it manually for you. Thanks!

Comments

  1. Leora Wenger says

    April 9, 2010 at 12:45 pm

    Trouble stirring, huh? I wish I had the guts to do more “good” stirring. Yesterday I “stirred” with a client so he can update his WordPress site on his own. And informed him that there is a lot he can do via social media to market his site. But he’s not quite ready for that yet.

    Have a good weekend, Becky.

    Loading...
  2. Sheila Scarborough says

    April 9, 2010 at 1:00 pm

    Hi Becky,

    This week I got back in gear on my two travel blogs and social media/tourism blog, which had all lain gasping and neglected during most of March.

    I also enjoyed a wonderful conference call with all of the Perceptive Travel Blog contributors (we have a new writer, Brian – yay!) so I feel particularly amped about that one.

    Loading...
  3. Fred Patterson - The SBIR Coach says

    April 9, 2010 at 2:15 pm

    Hey Becky,

    Thanks for all you do with this Blog! It’s by far one of the best for small business issues — true to its mission, and provides truly useful information.

    I’ve had two of my writings get significant buzz this week and I’d like to share them with your readers.

    The first is an article that appeared in Innovation DAILY (http://www.innovationamerica.us/daily) last Tuesday. It’s titled “Innovation Gets a Boost with SBIR Cap Increase – But Commercialization Remains the Challenge”. Quick link is: http://budurl.com/ID6APR2010.

    And the 2nd is my column from April 6th on “The SBIR Coach’s Playbook” (http://SBIRplaybook.com) that will strike a note with anyone who’s ever applied for NIH grant funding: “The NIH SBIR proposal submission process SUCKS!” Quick link is
    http://budurl.com/NIHSBIRsubSUCKS.

    Keep up the good work, Betsy!

    Fred

    Loading...
  4. Fred Patterson - The SBIR Coach says

    April 9, 2010 at 5:53 pm

    Betsy? Well, hopefully Betsy will keep up her good work too, but I meant to say “Becky”! LOL Senior moment!

    Loading...
  5. Becky McCray says

    April 9, 2010 at 8:20 pm

    Leora, sometimes it’s a layering process to get folks up to the point they can do it on their own. You’re headed the right direction!

    Sheila, Yay! Glad you are back in the blogging business, getting back into a rhythm.

    Fred, thank you so much for those very kind words. And big congratulations on getting some buzz going on your posts! And no problem on the names. :)

    Loading...
  6. Becky McCray says

    April 9, 2010 at 9:47 pm

    Elizabeth Cusulas left this on an older brag basket by mistake, so I’m moving it forward:

    Bragging on my dear friend, Mike Austin from “downtown Vermont” who just had his book about marble workers and the marble industry published! It’s called “Stories from Vermont’s Marble Valley”

    Loading...
  7. James Laughlin says

    April 11, 2010 at 2:01 am

    Ok, so this isn’t a ‘brag’ because I’m not giving kudos to myself, but to those who are helping me become who I am becoming.

    Once upon a time I was a Twitter skeptic. Then Sheila Scarborough told me that I just need to try it on my phone. I did, and I got it. Now just try and shut me up! I’m live tweeting the events I attend and am even starting a company to teach other small business owners how to use social media in their business.

    This week another break through came via you Becky. Somehow your blog post on Foursquare touched something off inside me. That comment I wrote was way above my ability level. But the writing bug has bitten and I must scratch. I’m not sure what I’m going to do about it yet, but something is coming and it’s going to be good.

    Thank you so much ladies for the inspiration you provide every day. If I ever make it in this world it will be due, in large part, to the things I have learned from you.

    Loading...
  8. Becky McCray says

    April 11, 2010 at 4:33 am

    James, the kudos are yours, and rightly deserved. Sheila is quite inspiring, but you are the one doing the work. Good for you! I absolutely expect, not just good, but great things from you!

    Loading...

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

Partners

We partner with campaigns and organizations that we think best benefit rural small businesses. Logo with "Shop Indie Local"Move Your Money, bank local, invest localMulticolor logo with text that says "Global Entrepreneurship Week"Save Your Town logotype

Best of Small Biz Survival

A few people shopping in an attractive retail store in refurbished downtown building.

TREND 2025: Retail’s Big Split: what small town retailers can do now

99% of the best things you can do for your town don’t require anyone’s permission

Three kids in a canoe

Get started as an outdoor outfitter without breaking the bank

A shopkeeper and a customer share a laugh in a small store packed full of interesting home wares.

How to get customers in the door of small town and rural retail stores

Rural Tourism Trend: electric vehicle chargers can drive visitors

Wide view of a prairie landscape with a walk-through gate in a fence

Tourism: Make the most of scant remains and “not much to see” sites with a look-through sign

More of the best of Small Biz Survival

Copyright © 2025 Becky McCray
Front Page · Log in
%d