Skip to content
  • Survey of Rural Challenges
  • Small Town Speaker Becky McCray
  • SaveYour.Town
Small Biz Survival

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

Small town main street
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS
Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource
  • marketing | Small Biz 100

    Ideas for great business cards

    ByBecky McCray October 20, 2008August 27, 2014

    Business cards hold an enduring fascination for me. Sifting through the thousands I’ve collected, I have a few ideas to make your business cards more effective. I’m not talking about the cool kid, all graphic-design-y, work of art, hunk of metal, whatever cards. I’m talking about business cards that work for business. If you go…

    Read More Ideas for great business cardsContinue

  • entrepreneurship | marketing | mistakes

    Mistakes: Being scared of buzz

    ByBecky McCray October 19, 2008August 27, 2014

    Are you afraid of buzz? What does that cost you?  A local small business owner asked me to not share photos of her renovated historic building until after she has a grand opening. I was surprised. I mentioned that her renovation had been featured in a newspaper article, with photos! She said again, “don’t show…

    Read More Mistakes: Being scared of buzzContinue

  • entrepreneurship | rural

    Power lessons for small town entrepreneurs

    ByBecky McCray October 18, 2008August 27, 2014

    Ben Power wrote some serious small business lessons in, “Are local tech shops a dying breed? If so, it’s our fault.” He’s talking specifically about computer sales and repair, especially in small towns, but he gives some lessons we can all stand to be reminded of. Here are few quotes: Answer your phone when it…

    Read More Power lessons for small town entrepreneursContinue

  • entrepreneurship | rural

    14 tips for really rural businesses

    ByBecky McCray October 16, 2008August 27, 2014

    Doing business in a small town or rural area does have some differences from traditional business thinking. Aliza Sherman, famous entrepreneur and writer, asked me to do a joint post with her with tips for “really rural” businesses. Aliza currently does business in Alaska and is moving to a town of under 2000. She shares…

    Read More 14 tips for really rural businessesContinue

  • economic development | rural

    Make the most of one more oil boom

    ByBecky McCray October 16, 2008August 27, 2014

    Back in January of 2006, I reminded you of the old bumper sticker joke: “Just one more oil boom, Lord. I promise I won’t piss this one away.”    My question then was what will you do with this oil boom? We’re nearly three years further into this boom since I asked. Let me remind…

    Read More Make the most of one more oil boomContinue

  • entrepreneurship

    Build your business at a knowledge intersection

    ByBecky McCray October 15, 2008August 27, 2014

    You are most valuable, not at the far edges of your skills, but at the intersections of your knowledge areas. For example, if you know travel and cooking, you are more valuable leading exclusive cultural trips featuring local cuisine, than simply leading “normal” trips. If you know both motorsports journalism (an intersection of its own)…

    Read More Build your business at a knowledge intersectionContinue

  • entrepreneurship | mistakes

    Mistakes in working with service providers

    ByBecky McCray October 14, 2008September 27, 2016

    Common mistakes can kill your small business, but most of them can be easily corrected or avoided. Today’s bad example: mis-using your service providers. Dear Client: Saying, “I don’t like this,” is not feedback. Tell me WHY you don’t like it. I am a writer, not a mind reader. Love, Kristen  –@KristenKing, via Twitter If…

    Read More Mistakes in working with service providersContinue

  • entrepreneurship | planning | tools

    Take the Two Week Perspective

    ByBecky McCray October 13, 2008August 27, 2014

    The Two Week Perspective is a different way to view your schedule. I use Google Calendar. I like the weekly view, but when you’re on Thursday or Friday, mostly you see the past. So I changed to a Two Week view, and made that the default. Now I see more of what’s coming up. I’ve…

    Read More Take the Two Week PerspectiveContinue

Page navigation

Previous PagePrevious 1 … 150 151 152 153 154 … 239 Next PageNext

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.

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.

The Best of Small Biz Survival

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

Get started as an outdoor outfitter without breaking the bank

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

Read more of the Best of Small Biz Survival

Partners

We partner with campaigns and organizations that we think best benefit rural small businesses.

Logo with "Shop Indie Local"
Graphic of US currency with the text Move Your Money, bank local, invest local
Multicolor logo with text that says "Global Entrepreneurship Week"
Save Your Town logotype

Copyright © 2006–2026 Becky McCray • Site by Webdancers

  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS
  • Survey of Rural Challenges
  • Small Town Speaker Becky McCray
  • SaveYour.Town