Prosperous entrepreneurs can reshape communities. That’s one of my key beliefs, and an example is playing out in Las Vegas right now. Zappos, the online shoe retailer, is relocating their corporate headquarters from suburban Henderson, Nevada, to downtown Las Vegas, and they’re bringing hundreds of millions of dollars in investment in revitalization with them. We’re…
Showrooming is a bit of a new trend. Your customers, even in small towns, are standing in your store and using their smartphone to compare your price with online retailers. If the product is cheaper at the online store, they order it immediately, and you just lost a sale. For small town retailers, this can…
Over at Michele Price’s site, a reader asked:How would one create a startup community in a more rural area where people don’t really get “the internet” and could care less about Facebook, Twitter, or ANY social networking/digital websites? Michele invited me to reply, and here’s the advice I offered: Our eclectic Alva meetup group welcomes…
Small Business Saturday is focusing more people’s attention on small businesses for holiday shopping. That’s good. But what does it mean? How can small town businesses benefit? What do we need to do? The bottom sticker is for SmallBusiness Saturday from 2011.Seen in Portland, Maine. Small Business Saturday is the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Nov 24, 2012….
James Dalman is another of my Oklahoma friends. He does terrific web design, and he designed my personal site at BeckyMcCray.com. I’ve seen his love for small towns. When he told me this story, I begged him to write it up. He’s describing the number one complaint I hear about small town businesses over and…
This article comes from my friend Stephanie Ward. She’s originally from Oklahoma, but currently lives in The Netherlands. She wants to help you become a more meaningful entrepreneur, making a difference in the world. While this article isn’t specifically written for rural entrepreneurs, I think outsourcing is a small town issue. Outsourcing doesn’t just mean…
Sheila Scarborough has been my friend for over 4 years, which is a long time online. She’s one of the most confident and capable people anywhere. She’s made an impressive transition from an officer in the Navy to freelance writer to entrepreneur and business owner. I’ve learned a lot from her about the world of…
Every business person, no matter how successful they appear, deals with failure daily. It’s just a part of doing business. Every week, I fail in my business.I never can outguess the customers! Looking in from the outside, you don’t see the whole picture. A smart friend told me he’s intimidated when he looks at people…
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