Economic development is notoriously complex, frequently involving many different government agencies and multiple different departments in just one business opening. The traditional way of structuring economic development is to have one person with the title of economic development director. (If you’re a small town, that might be a half-time person, or shared with a larger…
It’s the stereotypical small town business: the bait shop, tire store, and gas station all in one. But multiplying your lines of income is much more than just cramming more businesses into your building. It’s also about businesses that stick to one niche, but find more than one way to produce their income. Multiple businesses:…
[Stephanie Ward is a fellow Oklahoman, who happens to now reside in The Netherlands. She’s been a good friend and coach, and I’m proud to offer this guest post from her. – Becky] By Stephanie Ward What if there was a business that could save children’s lives, protect women from rape, improve the environment, and even…
Kenda Morrison is back living in the small town. The move back has brought back an old frustration for her. Service businesses that cater to residents but not tourists seem to get overlooked by the chamber of commerce, etc. “All too often I see them floundering in the Tourism environment and a complete lack of…
“Twitter just hasn’t clicked for me,” a young woman told me. She works for an art gallery in a small town. She has a Twitter account to manage, but hasn’t found it useful yet. Small town art galleries arenatural community-builders. We talked a little longer, and I gave her this advice. I thought you might…
Lots of small town business people tell me they just aren’t sure how to behave on social media. They don’t know what to say, or how to act. Which is funny, because they are the perfect model. If you know how to work with customers in person,you know how to work with customers online.That’s my…
Guest Post by Lance Trebesch I’m not your typical rural businessman. Though my office may be located in the countryside these days, I actually began my career managing and growing startups in Silicon Valley. I spent more than fifteen years in the “heart of the concrete jungle,” helping companies turn their promising new businesses into…
Photos are key for tourism promotion, so you can never have too many great photos to use online. And the U.S. Government is here to help. Most photos you find online are NOT public domain. One exception is “Photos prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person’s…
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