How many different groups and networks connect people in your town to other towns in your region? Luther Snow says these networks are a special rural asset. Photo by Becky McCray.
Recently I was fortunate enough to catch a webinar with Luther Snow talking about the asset approach and positive development.
Urban Bias
Snow started by addressing the prevalent “urban bias”: assuming that the way things happen in the concentrated center is what matters everywhere.
Urban bias is evident in:
- centralized meetings
- traditional land economics (high price = high value)
- poverty rate, measured by concentration of people
- place targeting
- preference for institutional and professional efforts over volunteer efforts
- focusing on economies of scale
Rural people sometimes adopt urban bias, leading us to say things like:
- we’re small
- isolated
- don’t have much
- we’re just volunteers
We can choose how we look at things. We have assets.
What is “rural”?
Ruralness just means we are spread out, Snow said.
Being spread out isn’t an automatically negative characteristic. In fact, we rural people have a lot of positive characteristics:
- independent
- resourceful
- entrepreneurial
- creative
- innovative
- interdependent
- rely on neighbors
- collaborative and networked
- Independent + Interdependent = Networked
Snow contrasted the “concentrated” or urban view versus a more “networked” or rural point of view in several ways:
Concentrated: central meeting location
Networked: rotating meeting locations, online meetingsConcentrated: big industrial firm
Networked: industrial corridorConcentrated: tourism destination
Networked: tourism trailConcentrated: poverty concentration
Networked: poverty awareness and accessibilityConcentrated: economies of scale
Networked: economies of networks (the way the internet works, or a farmer’s market)
The outside view of rural and the inside view
Snow gave an example of North Slope Alaska villages. The 8 villages are 300 miles apart. The outsiders’ view of residents was:
- are “stuck” there
- dependent on oil money
- there are “no” businesses
- declining
- need to be taught asset approach and positive development
The insiders’ view was quite different:
- villagers choose to live there because “we love it here”
- mange a sophisticated hybrid of commercial and sustenance economy
- everyone wants to start a business!
- have iPhones and are on Facebook
- growing community with many young families and children
- experts at collaboration and networking
- networked through sports, health, schools, churches, whaling society
What can you do?
Most of the best rural efforts are lead by volunteers just like you. Snow listed these ideas you can use in your community:
- Make a list of 5 ways your community is stronger because it is rural.
- Support a group of “outsiders” in the area.
- Offer business training.
- Start a community foundation or loan fund.
- Have coffee with 2 new people per week.
- Find 5 regional networks that already exist: sports, youth, churches, recreational. Ask how they get things done.
- Host a happy hour for entrepreneurs.
- Exchange board members with another organization.
- Lead a community campaign.
- Facilitate a business-to-business marketplace.
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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.
I’d love some more ideas about facilitating a business-to-business marketplace. We have tried this but I think we need a different approach! :)
Simone, one example I’ve seen in a big city and liked was Let’s Do Business Tulsa. It provides an online directory of what’s available within the greater metropolitan area. I’ll also start a new post to ask everyone to contribute their own small-town examples.