I often hear jovial stories and stereotypes, in and out of rural places, about how small-town people are stuck in the 1960s and refuse to accept change. They joke that we nostalgically hang on to our traditions, our history, our ways of doing things, and our small-town values. Personally, I choose to live in a…
Small towns are so different, there is no one business will work in every small town. But there’s one business idea that almost every single small town I’ve visited needs: small spaces. Every rural town could use smaller spaces for locals to start tiny retail businesses. Not everyone can afford to rent an entire…
Want a strong local economy? Then it should come as no surprise that you need a continuous flow of new businesses. That message is one that we hear often and loudly in both rural and urban areas. New businesses help grow the economy. They also employee workers, spend money, borrow money, and are often active…
Awards are a great way to recognize your small businesses in small towns. Unfortunately, most business awards encourage the people who need the least encouragement: those who are long-term successes. Sure your long-time businesses deserve some recognition. It also helps inspire others to see the successes. Keep doing that. Just don’t let that be…
Lots of big cities have started shipping container business villages. I love the idea. But many of them are making a huge mistake that I don’t want to see small towns copy. The Big Mistake: Ignoring the street My friend Carlos Moreno of Tulsa, Oklahoma, pointed this out. Here’s a picture of the Boxyard in…
This is an easy idea for small town economic developers, chambers of commerce, banks and all the people who care about their small towns. It’s pretty common to hear people say something like, “There’s no new businesses in our town!” That’s because they aren’t remembering all the new business activity or they maybe aren’t paying…
You’ve probably heard me say this one before: The best way to save your town is to start your own small business. I have four reasons that back that up: You’ll decide what values to put first More small businesses means more jobs* Locally-owned businesses are the key to local prosperity* You’ll return more…
Small town tourism groups and chambers of commerce often need information about their local tourism trends, but don’t have reliable sources of data. Statistics from the state are usually divided by county or only cover larger communities. The few stats you can get your hands on are usually well out of date. Turns out,…
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