• Survey of Rural Challenges
  • Small Town Speaker Becky McCray
  • Shop Local video
  • SaveYour.Town

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS

How to get more parking downtown without adding any spaces

By Becky McCray

There’s not enough parking downtown! Doesn’t every city have that problem? You’re about to learn a new way to get more parking for your Main Street without having to pave, stripe or get a permit. It doesn’t work in every town, but it very well might work in yours. Finding hidden parking There is only […]

March 7, 2020 Filed Under: Best of, customer service, economic development, entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, shop local Tagged With: Climate, creative placemaking, downtown, economic development, empty land, empty lots, entrepreneurship, parking, parks, placemaking, rural, small towns, walkability

Getting local businesses to cooperate with you: Shop Hopping Around Brownsville

By Becky McCray

  Getting local businesses to cooperate can be a challenge in any small town. Everyone is busy in their own business, and few have time to dedicate to working with other businesses. Whether it’s a formal project put on by a group like the Chamber of Commerce or an informal get-together, there are big benefits […]

December 16, 2019 Filed Under: Best of, economic development, entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, shop local, trends Tagged With: effective marketing, entrepreneurship, retail, service businesses, small business, small business success

What is holding us back? Why does every project take so long in small towns?

By Becky McCray

  We all hold different titles, work in different fields or sectors, but we’re all fighting for the future of our towns and rural places. We want to be a place our children and grandchildren and our nieces and nephews can live a good life. Quality of Life, a prosperous future for our towns, these are things […]

December 3, 2018 Filed Under: announcement, Best of, community, rural, trends Tagged With: idea friendly

How any business can be part of downtown events by going mobile

By Becky McCray

  When you hold events downtown, the businesses that aren’t located downtown sometimes feel left out. There’s one bank not in downtown, that figured out a great way to participate in the First Thursday fun in downtown Colfax, Washington. They could have done what other groups are doing and set up a booth on the […]

October 29, 2018 Filed Under: Best of, community, entrepreneurship, marketing, rural Tagged With: experience economy

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Howdy!

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.

If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

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.

Partners

We partner with campaigns and organizations that we think best benefit rural small businesses. Logo with "Shop Indie Local"Move Your Money, bank local, invest localMulticolor logo with text that says "Global Entrepreneurship Week"Save Your Town logotype

Best of Small Biz Survival

A few people shopping in an attractive retail store in refurbished downtown building.

TREND 2025: Retail’s Big Split: what small town retailers can do now

99% of the best things you can do for your town don’t require anyone’s permission

Three kids in a canoe

Get started as an outdoor outfitter without breaking the bank

A shopkeeper and a customer share a laugh in a small store packed full of interesting home wares.

How to get customers in the door of small town and rural retail stores

Rural Tourism Trend: electric vehicle chargers can drive visitors

Wide view of a prairie landscape with a walk-through gate in a fence

Tourism: Make the most of scant remains and “not much to see” sites with a look-through sign

More of the best of Small Biz Survival

Copyright © 2025 Becky McCray
Front Page · Log in