Skip to content
  • Survey of Rural Challenges
  • Small Town Speaker Becky McCray
  • SaveYour.Town
Small Biz Survival

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

Small town main street
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS
Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource
  • It's the Most Wonderful Time to Shop Indie Local
    entrepreneurship | marketing | rural | shop local

    Shop Local tools: Easy Editorial, Letter to the Editor template to copy

    ByBecky McCray November 27, 2023

    Promote local shopping with a letter to the editor or editorial Step by step instructions Ready to promote local shopping to more of your community? Try an editorial or a letter to the editor. You can submit this to your local newspaper, share it in any organization newsletters, and post it on social media! Step…

    Read More Shop Local tools: Easy Editorial, Letter to the Editor template to copyContinue

  • A cat wearing a plaid bandana shown over a background of Shop Indie Local graphics
    entrepreneurship | marketing | rural | shop local

    Shop Indie Local Week and Holiday Season, it’s way more than Shop Small Saturday

    BySmall Biz Survival November 20, 2023

    Guest post by Jen Risley, AMIBA Thank you for your commitment to building the local economy movement! Wishing you an inspiring Shop Indie Local Week with the entire community. My cat Shamu (above) can’t wait for Plaid Friday! One practical step: #ShopIndieLocal It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Any local business or group can start by sharing social…

    Read More Shop Indie Local Week and Holiday Season, it’s way more than Shop Small SaturdayContinue

  • October is the new December: Shop early, shop indie local
    entrepreneurship | marketing | rural | shop local

    October is the new December: Shop early, shop indie local

    BySmall Biz Survival October 5, 2023

    Heads up, rural retailers: holiday shopping has already started! Guest post by Jen Risley, AMIBA Why promote Shop Indie Local early this holiday season? Because more of us are shopping early for holiday gifts. From National Retail Federation: Over the last decade, consumers have been kicking off their holiday shopping early in order to spread…

    Read More October is the new December: Shop early, shop indie localContinue

  • Becky McCray is talking with a woman with dark skin and hair who cradles her head on one hand while thinking.
    entrepreneurship | marketing | rural

    Turn free advice requests into paying clients

    ByBecky McCray October 3, 2023October 5, 2023

    Years ago, Thursday Bram asked me some questions about how freelancers and other consulting and professional folks can avoid giving away too much of their knowledge for free. Her article at Freelance Switch is no longer online, so I thought it was time to share it here, as well. Here’s some of my best advice…

    Read More Turn free advice requests into paying clientsContinue

  • An open retail space with colorful and appealing displays of handcrafted goods
    entrepreneurship | marketing | rural | social media

    The Allure of Authenticity: Rural stories can give your product a leg up

    BySmall Biz Survival September 13, 2023September 13, 2023

    Why Rural Craftsmanship Resonates in Online Sales Guest post by Tance Hughes In today’s digital age, the online marketplace is bustling with options at every click. Amidst the buzz of big brands and flashy advertisements, there lies an understated yet profound power: the allure of authenticity. For rural entrepreneurs, this authenticity is rooted in their craft,…

    Read More The Allure of Authenticity: Rural stories can give your product a leg upContinue

  • A diverse crowd watches a marching band in a small town parade
    economic development | marketing | rural

    What small town businesses can do during events to capitalize on the extra people

    BySmall Biz Survival June 9, 2023March 12, 2025

    Guest post by Jeremy Zeller Do your homework – WHO WILL BE ATTENDING the event? Cater to that audience. Families, College students, Car enthusiasts, Cosplay…yes, even them. If you do not want to keep your store open, set up a SIDEWALK STAND or TABLE and sell there. An assortment of products and swag to just…

    Read More What small town businesses can do during events to capitalize on the extra peopleContinue

  • A person is working on a laptop from a rooftop deck
    marketing | rural | trends

    How small town businesses can market to remote workers and turn them into new customers

    ByBecky McCray May 15, 2023

    With the rise of remote work, more people move to small towns even temporarily to work remotely. Small town businesses have the opportunity to tap remote workers as new customers. Why remote workers are hard to market to New residents who work remotely can be hard to find: they aren’t all working at the same…

    Read More How small town businesses can market to remote workers and turn them into new customersContinue

  • A shopkeeper and a customer share a laugh in a small store packed full of interesting home wares.
    Best of | marketing | rural | shop local

    How to get customers in the door of small town and rural retail stores

    ByBecky McCray February 19, 2023March 12, 2025

      If you have a retail store in a small town, you know how difficult it can be to attract customers in the door. With so much online competition and limited resources, it is hard to get people in the store and buying your products. In this article, we’ll share some of our best ways…

    Read More How to get customers in the door of small town and rural retail storesContinue

Page navigation

Previous PagePrevious 1 2 3 4 5 … 62 Next PageNext

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

The Best of Small Biz Survival

TREND 2025: Retail’s Big Split: what small town retailers can do now

99% of the best things you can do for your town don’t require anyone’s permission

Get started as an outdoor outfitter without breaking the bank

How to get customers in the door of small town and rural retail stores

Read more of the Best of Small Biz Survival

Partners

We partner with campaigns and organizations that we think best benefit rural small businesses.

Logo with "Shop Indie Local"
Graphic of US currency with the text Move Your Money, bank local, invest local
Multicolor logo with text that says "Global Entrepreneurship Week"
Save Your Town logotype

Copyright © 2006–2026 Becky McCray • Site by Webdancers

  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS
  • Survey of Rural Challenges
  • Small Town Speaker Becky McCray
  • SaveYour.Town