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Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource
  • AI-driven Japanese robot raps a song it just made up for you at SXSW 2018. Photo by Becky McCray
    entrepreneurship | rural | Small Biz 100

    Are conferences and events worth your time and money? Here’s how to make sure

    ByBecky McCray April 23, 2018April 8, 2018

      Going to conferences and events can have huge benefits for small town business people. When we’re working in our business, we feel isolated because there are so few businesses like ours. It can feel like there is no one to talk to, no one who understands what we go through. That’s why industry conferences,…

    Read More Are conferences and events worth your time and money? Here’s how to make sureContinue

  • Six big themes for small town entrepreneurship
    Best of | community | economic development | entrepreneurship | rural

    Six big themes for small town entrepreneurship

    ByBecky McCray April 16, 2018December 9, 2018

      On a recent call, Janet Soto from Oregon picked out 6 themes from what I’ve written about lately that she felt were exactly what Oregon small towns most needed to hear as they work on entrepreneurship. There are positive trends for small towns. It doesn’t matter what the numbers say about us, what negative…

    Read More Six big themes for small town entrepreneurshipContinue

  • Check this list? Did I get your topic on there?
    announcement | rural

    Check this list? Did I get your topic on there?

    ByBecky McCray April 9, 2018November 8, 2022

    Deb Brown and I were in the same place last week, and she twisted my arm until we planned out our SaveYour.Town webinar topics for all the way through 2019. Here’s the list along with tentative dates for the recorded lessons: April 6: Rural Jobs Creation Strategies (open for registration now through April 25 only) May…

    Read More Check this list? Did I get your topic on there?Continue

  • If you help your customers to create a plan, don’t leave out this essential item
    customer service | entrepreneurship | marketing | Small Biz 100

    If you help your customers to create a plan, don’t leave out this essential item

    ByBecky McCray April 2, 2018March 25, 2018

      If part of the services you provide includes helping people make a plan, be sure you don’t stop there. If you don’t address this pitfall, it’s going to hurt your sales and hold potential customers back. The problem Everyday people, like your customers, want to have a plan, but they have an important doubt….

    Read More If you help your customers to create a plan, don’t leave out this essential itemContinue

  • Small town secrets to surviving lean times
    Best of | entrepreneurship | rural | Small Biz 100

    Small town secrets to surviving lean times

    ByBecky McCray March 26, 2018December 9, 2018

      Small town people know that lean times can happen to anyone and any business. If you only sell to walk-in customers, what do you do when the city tears up your sidewalk? If you only do consulting, what do you do when you get sick for a month? If you only sell online, what…

    Read More Small town secrets to surviving lean timesContinue

  • These small town neighbors bought vacant buildings, brought them up to code. Here’s what happened next
    community | economic development | rural | survivors

    These small town neighbors bought vacant buildings, brought them up to code. Here’s what happened next

    ByBecky McCray March 12, 2018March 3, 2018

      Waynoka, Oklahoma, had a lot of vacant run-down buildings in their downtown. In a town of 900 people, the prospects didn’t look great. At an all-class reunion, a group of alumni got together and decided to change that. They called themselves Project Waynoka, our friend and early contributor Jeanne Cole said. They started raising money….

    Read More These small town neighbors bought vacant buildings, brought them up to code. Here’s what happened nextContinue

  • The giant checklist of social media marketing basics for small town business
    Best of | entrepreneurship | marketing | rural | social media

    The giant checklist of social media marketing basics for small town business

    ByBecky McCray March 5, 2018July 10, 2023

    Start with this checklist Here are specific steps any small business in a rural area can take to get started on social media marketing. Physical, bricks and mortar businesses, claim your Google listing first: Claim your Google listing at https://www.google.com/business/ What to do if you’re not in the right place on the map Update your info,…

    Read More The giant checklist of social media marketing basics for small town businessContinue

  • Tourism idea: host a rural retreat after a big conference in the big city
    economic development | entrepreneurship | rural | tourism

    Tourism idea: host a rural retreat after a big conference in the big city

    ByBecky McCray February 26, 2018February 25, 2018

    When I saw this news article, the light went on over my head! This is such a great fit for small towns to boost their tourism. Norfolk County, Ontario, is hosting the culinary industry at the Terroir Rural Retreat. It will be the day after the major Terroir Symposium held in big city Toronto, almost…

    Read More Tourism idea: host a rural retreat after a big conference in the big cityContinue

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