I am sure we all have been asked, “Do you want the meal deal?” And it doesn’t stop there. Deals surround us. Go for a simple oil change and you might be presented with a package deal that includes a new air filter, tire rotation, and more. Buy a car and get offered an extended…
Every small town is struggling to find enough volunteers to keep projects going and start new ones. It’s not just you! The trick is that people have changed, but volunteering really has not. If you want to be part of making your community a little greener, you have to volunteer to be on the…
Empty space is an enemy of small town retail stores. Empty shelves and empty space make customers think you don’t have much to sell. They already think you don’t have much because that’s the stereotype of small town stores. You can combat this perception easily: fill all empty space, floor to ceiling. Secret: You…
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…
Small-business owners always are looking for ways to build their business. Often their thoughts focus on having the right products and/or services at the right price and selling to the right market. . These are key elements in building a sustainable business. As a scientist would say, they are necessary but not sufficient, however. Without…
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…
What a crazy thought. Who couldn’t handle more money, more visibility, more fame, and a larger share of the market? The writer of this blog must have lost his mind. It does seem like a foolish thought, but then I look back on various companies I have worked with who were on the brink of …
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