When small town entrepreneurs prosper, they help their community prosper. It’s one of my core beliefs, and it’s supported by some scholarly research. Charles M. Tolbert, Baylor University, looked at the effects of small business on their local community. His research shows that more locally-oriented business establishments are associated statistically with: higher average income levels less…
Blogs and social media can be effective marketing tools for small town businesses, but they take planning to make the most of. This is true for small businesses and for tourism groups. Don’t let important events, holidays, and tie-ins sneak up on you. Use your calendar to connect your social efforts to the real world….
I believe in entrepreneurship training. It’s a good investment in your small town’s future. The more successful local entrepreneurs you have in town, the stronger your local economy, and the more resources you have to take on your local challenges. Good entrepreneurship training can cost money. One source for funding of up to $50,000 in…
Reader Carrie Bodeman at As Good As New sent this alternative to traditional business planning. You might like it too. –Becky Sometimes you have to look back to see forward. We keep a daily log of all activity so I can look back several years at a glance. We print out a blank calendar and each…
Three local stores in Alva, Oklahoma, are cooperating on a sale. Cheers to The Etc. Shoppe, Schuhmacher’s Gifts, and LaDEEda. Have you cooperated with other local businesses for a joint promotion? New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates.
QR codes are everywhere, or so it seems. Most suffer from one or more of the 7 QR code mistakes that can kill your promotions. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, I saw one tourism campaign that actually avoids all those mistakes: The GR Tag Tour. The signs are posted on existing sign posts, with enough…
I’m weird. I love planning. I even like business planning, figuring out how to best present my business and fit it into the requirements and structure. Not everyone likes doing this. You, for example. You probably don’t like planning. You aren’t alone. I do love planning. I’m weird. And, I planned for this possibility, so…
Another report from the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies Conference. Alfa Demmellash, co-founder Rising Tide Capital, wanted to bring loan funds to underserved communities to start small businesses. When she met with potential entrepreneurs, they always mentioned lack of capital and access to loans as major problems. But what she found was that they…
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