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Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource
  • community | marketing | rural | shop local

    New ideas for your shop local campaign

    ByBecky McCray August 27, 2008August 27, 2014

    Our friend Rob Hatch sent me a link to Do the math with your gas, about keeping your gas cost down by shopping locally. It immediately made me think of your small town, shop local campaign. This is a great new reason to mention when promoting the benefits of shopping locally. You do have a…

    Read More New ideas for your shop local campaignContinue

  • community | economic development | entrepreneurship | planning | rural | Small Biz 100

    So, You Want to Start a Farmer’s Market?

    ByMaesz August 23, 2008August 27, 2014

    One of our readers left us a comment, with this question, “I live in a small town and I would love to start a community Farmer’s Market that would be on the line of a ‘Flea Market’. Where do I start?” Great question! Here are some ideas to get you going. First you need to…

    Read More So, You Want to Start a Farmer’s Market?Continue

  • community | economic development | entrepreneurship | global | marketing

    Promote your rural place online

    ByBecky McCray August 7, 2008August 27, 2014

    Guest post by David James Nicol, Shetland Islands Photo by David Gifford, used by permission.  My name is David James Nicol, and I make my living running a web design business, NB Communication Ltd (http://www.nbcommunication.com). I live and work in the Shetland Islands, which lie about 100 miles (160km) north of the nearest point on mainland…

    Read More Promote your rural place onlineContinue

  • community | economic development | rural

    Abatements and Incentives: Where are they for small business?

    ByZane Safrit August 6, 2008August 27, 2014

    I live and work in a small town in rural southeast Iowa. It’s just like the small towns in rural areas for many of the readers here. A town square. Dedicated, selfless members on the town council and school boards and county supervisors. Friday nights are all about high school football. Parents love their children…

    Read More Abatements and Incentives: Where are they for small business?Continue

  • community | entrepreneurship | POV | rural

    Get on the telephone

    ByZane Safrit June 16, 2008August 27, 2014

    I live and work in a town of just about 10,000 people. Fairfield, Iowa. Wonderful town. Quirky, interesting, small, remote, quiet (except for 35 trains that rumble through daily). County seat for a county with maybe 12-13,000. We’re 4 hours from Chicago, Kansas City and St. Louis. We’re 1 hour from any town of more…

    Read More Get on the telephoneContinue

  • community | rural | workforce | youth

    $50k/year and no takers: the rural workforce shortage

    ByBecky McCray June 1, 2008August 27, 2014

    Rural areas with sparse population, like western Oklahoma and Kansas, are up against a brick wall that is a workforce shortage. G.L. Hoffman has the story of his cousin Craig, offering $50,000 a year, health care, and home, for farm workers. No takers. Too far out in the country. Too much hard work. Too little…

    Read More $50k/year and no takers: the rural workforce shortageContinue

  • community | rural | social media | survivors

    Shawn Kirsch is changing Elgin, ND, forever

    ByBecky McCray May 25, 2008August 27, 2014

    This post is the fourth in a series on social media and social networking tools for small towns. By Shawn Kirsh Well I was born in a small townAnd I live in a small townProbly die in a small townOh, those small communities All my friends are so small townMy parents live in the same…

    Read More Shawn Kirsch is changing Elgin, ND, foreverContinue

  • community | economic development | rural | shop local

    Local stores worth 3 times more than chains

    ByBecky McCray May 22, 2008August 27, 2014

    Need ammo for your shop local campaign? Use this fact: local merchants are worth three times as much to your local economy as the chain stores. From Civic Economics: The analysis demonstrated that locally owned merchants generate more than three times the local economic activity of their competitor chain stores on equal revenue. Found in…

    Read More Local stores worth 3 times more than chainsContinue

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