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Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource
  • Paula Jensen
    community | economic development | rural

    What’s behind your community’s historic population shift? Census map links

    ByPaula Jensen August 21, 2023August 14, 2023

    By Paula Jenson I spent some valuable time last month doing a bit of data discovery about rural communities. In my search I explored an interactive map* showing the percent change in total population from the 2010 to the 2020 Census at both the state and county levels. I first zoomed in to view the…

    Read More What’s behind your community’s historic population shift? Census map linksContinue

  • A group of smiling people around a dinner table
    community | rural | survivors

    Jackson County and Grayson KY Stories and Volunteers

    ByDeb Brown August 8, 2023July 6, 2023

    Guest post by Deb Brown Change can be activated in a society by way of story.” from the book Spirit Run I just returned from Jackson County, Kentucky and the small town of Grayson, Kentucky. There’s a natural beauty in those mountains and winding roads. The people were kind, helpful and want to see their…

    Read More Jackson County and Grayson KY Stories and VolunteersContinue

  • Empty Building idea: Make a Zen-like space for your people
    community | rural | survivors | trends

    Empty Building idea: Make a Zen-like space for your people

    ByBecky McCray August 2, 2023March 12, 2025

    Steal this healing and calming idea for your downtown! At the Main Street Now Conference in Boston, I joined a trolley tour of the six Dorchester Main Streets. We got a chance to walk through The Guild‘s expansive building. While this space is only one of many projects of The Guild, it was the one that…

    Read More Empty Building idea: Make a Zen-like space for your peopleContinue

  • How to fill empty buildings: real world examples Deb Brown shared with Gowrie, Iowa
    community | economic development | rural

    How to fill empty buildings: real world examples Deb Brown shared with Gowrie, Iowa

    ByDeb Brown July 25, 2023July 7, 2023

    I attended the Chamber Dinner in Gowrie, Iowa and talked about small town ideas they could use. It was my pleasure to spend a couple of days there. This article talks about small town ideas for the community and by the community. Got empty buildings? Every small town has empty buildings and empty lots. Gowrie…

    Read More How to fill empty buildings: real world examples Deb Brown shared with Gowrie, IowaContinue

  • The Blues
    community | entrepreneurship | rural | tourism

    Folklife in the South Conference – The Stories Matter

    ByDeb Brown July 10, 2023July 7, 2023

    I attended the Folklife in the South Conference in Lake Guntersville, Alabama in June 2023.  It was a gathering of community leaders, folklorists, traditional artists, educators, documentarians, and other cultural workers. We came together to hear the stories of work in the field, explore different avenues of folklife in the South and to meet and…

    Read More Folklife in the South Conference – The Stories MatterContinue

  • Kids playing on a chalked map of their community
    community | economic development | rural | trends

    Rural and small town ideas from the OU Placemaking Conference IQC 2023

    ByBecky McCray April 5, 2023

    Recently I attended the OU (University of Oklahoma) Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) Placemaking Conference This was the 10th annual event. There were 600 people attending from 40 counties in Oklahoma and 6 surrounding states. I attended the 2017 event along with my colleague Deb Brown. The focus was inevitably on big cities, but I…

    Read More Rural and small town ideas from the OU Placemaking Conference IQC 2023Continue

  • Logo with "Shop Indie Local"
    community | entrepreneurship | marketing | rural | shop local

    Holiday 2022 Marketing: Spotlight on Community

    ByBecky McCray November 10, 2022November 8, 2022

    We’re all using the same marketing theme this year: Shop Indie Local. When we work together to spread the word, we’ll multiply how many customers we reach. Learn more from AMIBA, the Shop Indie Local lead sponsor. Today, the focus is on your community. Our ultimate goal is to build a stronger community for all your…

    Read More Holiday 2022 Marketing: Spotlight on CommunityContinue

  • Logo with "Shop Indie Local"
    community | entrepreneurship | marketing | rural | shop local

    Holiday 2022 marketing: Spotlight a local business

    ByBecky McCray November 9, 2022November 8, 2022

    We’re all using the same marketing theme this year: Shop Indie Local. When we work together to spread the word, we’ll multiply how many customers we reach. Learn more from AMIBA, the Shop Indie Local lead sponsor. Spotlight a local business Today, we’re going to shine a spotlight on another local business near you. You…

    Read More Holiday 2022 marketing: Spotlight a local businessContinue

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