When the big Wal-Mart has already run the little chain grocery store out of business, is there any chance that a totally independent, locally-run grocery could compete? Yes. Alva, Oklahoma. Population just under 5000. My hometown. In 2002, the last grocery store in town, Homeland, locked its doors, leaving only the Wal-Mart Supercenter in the…
Don Zahorsky is an old cattle breeder in my neighborhood. He’s been in the business of registered Angus cattle for decades, even back when my dad was a kid. Ride around in the pasture with Don, and he can tell you the parentage of every animal. “What’s that tag number? 0282? That’s another Dominator son….
Want to start a blog for your small business, but not sure what to write about? The best posts are like personal notes to your customer. Here’s a starter list of topics to get you going. How our business was founded Just yesterday, a customer asked… Meet one of our employees Meet one of our…
Twitter is getting a lot of attention, with mentions in national media, being used on the news, and articles in all kinds of business publications. But, is Twitter worth the effort for a small town business? Businesses of all sizes are sharing impressive results. Dell announced it has made $3 million worth of sales through…
Dave Ivan of Michigan State University Extension rocked the house at the Michigan Small Town and Rural Development Conference with his “Can Small Towns Be Cool?” presentation. He showered us with ideas and examples gathered from 250 community visits, a literature review and the Michigan “Cool Cities Initiative” survey of young professionals. He grouped his…
More rural and small town folks are getting on Twitter. As I get to speak to more and more groups about it, I think we need a special guide to link you up with some friendly faces on Twitter and some resources to help you get started. Like a bus full of friends to show…
I’m cheap. I bought a new laptop for business, but I balk at paying $400 or more extra for software, for a laptop that cost $700. What should I download to install on my new small business laptop? Here are my top picks for no cost programs that are actually useful for the majority of…
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…
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