With small business lending incredibly tight, more innovative alternatives to financing are coming up. This one has a big string attached: a complete change in how you manage your business. Springfield Remanufacturing Company is a small city success, based in Springfield, Missouri. They got famous for using completely open book management, calling it the great…
Small towns change slowly, but they do change. Historic photographs and photo postcards show how your town used to look. But how do you share those with visitors? They’re on display in the museum, right? Well, young people aren’t going to your museum. So, let’s reach those young people where they live, right on their…
Ben A. Smith’s Social:IRL events have brought a series of nationally known speakers to cities like Wichita, Kansas City, and Ben’s current hometown of Lawrence, Kansas. I attended the Social Media Customer Service Bootcamp featuring Peter Shankman in Lawrence. Here are a bunch of notes, not particularly smoothed out. Peter Shankman works the crowd The point…
[Small town business is competitive, but we’re also cooperative. That’s why Shelby French’s presentation at the 140 Characters Conference in Central Sierra caught my attention. It’s her job to get local businesses cooperating even though they are nominal competitors. -Becky] Shelby French promotes “coopetition” at the Angels Camp Farmers Market. Being tasked with marketing the…
Matt About Business Weekly Link Roundup Each week, I collect the 10 best posts that I’ve read and share them with you here. These posts focus on small business solutions or resources online (or both!). Enjoy! Matt Mansfield How The New Facebook “Places” Feature Can Be Used As A Marketing ToolLink: http://www.jeffbullas.com/2010/11/25/how-the-new-facebook-places-feature-can-be-used-as-a-marketing-tool/My Take: Facebook expands…
I’ve lived around here for ages. The last time I climbed to the top of the Glass Mountains, I was probably 10 or 12 years old. I only went back this year because I had friends in from out of town. I wonder, how many people live here, but don’t even know you can hike…
Lots of people arrive here looking for rural business ideas. That’s why I keep coming up with more and more ideas you can use to start your own small town business. Here are three new ones to spur your thinking. My grandmother’s 1941 Kerr canning manual Teach canning classesIf you learned to can from your…
Matt About Business Weekly Link Roundup Each week, I collect the 10 best posts that I’ve read and share them with you here. These posts focus on small business solutions or resources online (or both!). Enjoy! Seven Ways to Engage Customers on Your WebsiteLink: http://www.pbsmartessentials.com/2011/07/seven-ways-to-engage-customers-on-your-website/My Take: Getting people to your site is only part of…
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