Watching a documentary on the Dust Bowl tonight reminded me that it was also an economic boom that went bust. Can we learn anything? How does the current situation compare? One of the pioneer women of the Oklahoma Panhandle dust bowl.By Arthur Rothstein, April 1938. First, a bit of history. Wheat prices ran up in…
Most small towns missed out on the recent run up in the USA national economy. And when we were struck with repeated crop failures and a horrendous local economy, the rest of the nation certainly didn’t notice. So, how is the national financial crisis affecting small towns? Well, it’s a mixed bag. And it’s still…
By Paul Swansen What really are advertising and marketing, how are they different, and why are they important to your small business? According to Wikipedia, “Advertising is a form of communication that typically attempts to persuade potential customers to purchase or to consume more of a particular brand of product or service.” And Wikipedia says…
Our friend Chuck Huckaby is building an online business directory.“Any owner of a ‘brick and mortar’ business is welcome to get another one way link to their store,” Chuck said. “I think that in many small towns, just a few extra links would help lift many businesses’ rankings. So this is one gratis link that…
Young entrepreneurs are our future. Rural young entrepreneurs, however, can be just a little different. Here’s a new twist on the old lemonade stand idea: @LizaJne tweeted: the boys are out in the yard selling frogs, slugs, grasshoppers and other bugs. they’ve already made $6.00! Lessons you can learn: Don’t believe the grownups who tell…
Your business can’t survive alone. You can greatly improve your chances by networking with other entrepreneurs. My hometown of Alva, Oklahoma, is working on this, with Fast Forward Fridays. Alva Area Chamber of Commerce Director Alexandra Mantz explained, “We hope to bring budding entrepreneurs in the region together to talk and find resources that will…
Our friend Ted Demopoulos knows how to make blogging work for business. I named him one of the four small town game changers, using social media tools effectively from a small town. Ted wrote a terrific booklet, “Secrets of Successful Blogging: 101+ Tips for Blogging more Effectively, Efficiently, and Effectively.” He sold several thousand copies,…
You’re got to have a 9 a.m. appointment every day that you work from home. Without one, it’s too easy to let yourself start slowly. Or to get started on the wrong things in the morning. Sometimes you just don’t feel like moving. That’s why you need a 9 a.m. appointment. Make one every day….
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.
We partner with campaigns and organizations that we think best benefit rural small businesses.
Copyright © 2006–2026 Becky McCray • Site by Webdancers