• Survey
  • Book Becky to speak
  • The book: Small Town Rules
  • Shop Local ebook
  • 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

Easy economic development tip: Write down all new businesses in your small town

By Becky McCray

Sign for The Studios on Main, a business inside another business

What’s on the list of new businesses in your town? Be sure to include all the sneaky businesses that popup inside another business.

This is an easy idea for small town economic developers, chambers of commerce, banks and all the people who care about their small towns.

It’s pretty common to hear people say something like, “There’s no new businesses in our town!”

That’s because they aren’t remembering all the new business activity or they maybe aren’t paying attention. Or maybe they’re only thinking of big new employers, the kind that come with visiting dignitaries for the announcement.

Most small towns don’t have many of those big announcement type employers, but I’m betting you have a lot more small business activity than folks realize.

My colleague Deb Brown has a great answer. When she started working at the chamber of commerce, she started a list of every new business that opened. She’s no longer at the chamber, but she still keeps that list.

Just answered a question from a local in town – what new businesses have come to town since 2014. I keep a list for when people tell me new businesses are not coming. Are you tracking the new businesses in your town? I think you’d be surprised how many there are!

Some of the new businesses are hard to see because they’re based in someone’s home or they are a traveling business. Add those to the list, too.

Look for businesses inside another business. Sometimes these open without anyone noticing them. Pay attention to local craft businesses that may only have a few items on sale inside a local store. Those are still businesses.

What are the last 5 businesses, including tiny businesses, to open in your town? Share in the comments!

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

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About Becky McCray

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 own a retail liquor store in Alva, Oklahoma, and a small cattle ranch nearby. Becky is an international speaker on small business.
  • Want more public attendance at your events? Make sure your signs include this specific phrase - February 18, 2019
  • Who’s asking your customer questions? - February 11, 2019
  • How restaurants can market each other in small towns - February 4, 2019
  • SEO for voice search is different for rural small business - January 28, 2019
  • What businesses would work in a small town with empty land - January 21, 2019
  • Two 2019 small business trends that are good for small towns - January 14, 2019
  • Small towns as testing grounds for future technology - December 31, 2018
  • Empty building ideas: Art gallery in the windows - December 24, 2018
  • What is holding us back? Why does every project take so long in small towns? - December 3, 2018
  • Control your business holiday lights with smart home tools - November 19, 2018

September 17, 2018 Filed Under: economic development, rural

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!

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.

Shop Local

Buy local buttonReady to set up a shop local campaign in your small town? You'll need a guide who understands how we're different and what really works: Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns.

Best of Small Biz Survival

What is holding us back? Why does every project take so long in small towns?

How any business can be part of downtown events by going mobile

Concert-goers talking and enjoying the evening in downtown Webster City, Iowa.

Why do people say there’s nothing to do here then not come to our concerts?

Retailers: Fill all empty space, floor to ceiling

More of the best of Small Biz Survival

Copyright © 2019 Becky McCray
Front Page · Log in