Individual businesses offer wifi now. Is there any good reason to set up downtown-wide wifi? Here are four. Photo by Becky McCray.
“Becky….we are looking at installing a downtown wifi area. What are your thoughts on that? I think it is awesome but I know I am going to get….’oh, sure…now the development corp is going to supply free wifi to people! They can pay for their own!'”
Angie Schmidt Benz
Moffit, North Dakota
Here are four reasons to consider offering a downtown wifi area:
- Wifi is crucial for tourism.
- Wifi is important to downtown businesses.
- Wifi is important for truck- and trailer- based businesses and mobile merchants like vendor booths to take credit cards.
- Wifi is important for future smart city internet-of-things sensors and data that the city and others will want to develop.
Now, where can you learn more about towns that are doing something similar now? Dig around for resources on these two websites:
- How cooperatives improve small town economies - May 8, 2022
- Metaverse business idea: virtual world tour guide - April 15, 2022
- Make extra money from extra workspace: co-working and 3rd workplaces in small towns - March 28, 2022
- Trade show booth design trend: hand drawn visuals - March 21, 2022
- New business sign design? Don’t use cursive script - February 14, 2022
- Way more people prefer rural than urban, new Pew Research study finds - February 1, 2022
- Top 5 Rural and small town trends 2022 - January 3, 2022
- How to start a real small small business - December 17, 2021
- Tip for better pop-ups and shed businesses - December 5, 2021
- Small town business idea: cat grooming - November 15, 2021
Great question Angie! It drives me crazy to get to Mc C or other small towns that are in ‘the dip’ and get zero service… WiFi would be invaluable!! Ohhhmy… and the tourism perks.. I can think of a dozen reasons why you should have it there! :)
Thanks, Katy. It can be tough to face the opposition you know is coming, but it helps to have a few responses ready.