I operate with a set of beliefs about rural places and small towns. I want to share them with you so you’ll know what I’m assuming whenever I talk with you. When I tell you that I help you shape a better future for your small town, that includes my beliefs that small towns in general have a…
I spent a couple of days last month touring Lake Arrowhead, California, meeting merchants and retailers, talking to residents, and holding a work session with the board of the Village Merchants Association. They have a ton of natural assets, great ideas, but have trouble getting the merchants to come together toward common goals. They’ve…
My friend Deb Brown has a serendipity story for us. She is the director of the chamber of commerce in Webster City, Iowa. She’s going to tell you how she makes serendipity happen. –Becky By Deb Brown Last Tuesday I was in Kansas City and talking to a fellow about maker spaces. Maker spaces…
Brief History of Highlands, North Carolina, video via YouTube. Hat tip to Susie deVille for the link. Lots of towns have a history video. What I want to see is your “now” video, and then I want to see your “future” video. You know the kind of town history videos I mean. The ones…
Small businesses form the cornerstone of local economies. In larger cities they are important, but in rural areas, they are crucial, not only economically but for the variety of products and services they provide. To begin with, the economic impact of the small business is sizable. Research shows that for every $100 spent, $68 dollars…
Businesses in small towns don’t work together very well. That was one of the top findings in our Survey of Rural Challenges. Survey answers included a lot of examples of this inability to cooperate: “Many of our merchants won’t participate in group promos.” “Businesses don’t cooperate with each other!” “The ‘competiveness’ of small town…
We all know what rural towns need, right? They need jobs, and to recruit some manufacturing, and they have a huge poverty problem. Right? Well, no. At least that’s not what rural people told me. Earlier this year, I ran a survey of subscribers and visitors here on SmallBizSurvival.com. Over 200 people who identified themselves as…
Small communities often are looking for ways to enhance and expand their local economies. A commonly used tool in this effort is encouraging the building and expansion of local businesses. Communities want jobs and dollars, and they usually want them relatively quickly. Often development plans look towards high-fliers and/or large firms. Yet, the local business…
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