Have you ever just felt that your business and what you do is nothing special? No matter what you sell or where you are located or even where you market, your business faces lots of competition. And as you dig deeper into who your competition is and what they are doing, your feel nothing distinguishes your…
Reader Dave Tucci sent in this terrific question that you may identify with: Here in our small town Unionville, Ontario, Canada, (pop 9000) we have a free concert night every Thursday night from 7:30 to 9pm. We have awesome cover bands like Elton Rohn, Hotel California, Absolute Journey and many more. We draw crowds…
If you believed me that the distraction IS your business now, then you might be thinking about events. You want to bring more life and activity to the area around your business, but big events are a big pain. Let’s do some tiny events instead. They’re a small pain, but a lot of fun….
Many small-business owners fear that an increase in prices will drive customers away. This idea made the headlines in 2016 when New Jersey implemented a substantial gas tax increase making prices jump 10% or more overnight. Gas station owners were concerned that people will go somewhere else for cheaper prices or to other transportation alternatives….
I think it’s time to stop calling things a failure just because they come to an end. This comes up because I asked a friend about a project in her town that rehabbed downtown buildings. “It’s not really active anymore,” she said with more than a note of failure in her voice. Let’s check…
Guest Post by Jeriann Ireland, dairyairhead.com A couple of years ago, I decided to turn my craft hobby into a business. This was mainly so I could continue to craft without accumulating all the items I created. There are only so many occasions to give gifts, so I decided to start selling my creations. In the…
I was walking through a retail hardware store and greenhouse in rural Kansas. The owner and I talked about the amazing selection he could keep in such a small town. He spent a little time lamenting all the things he used to be able to offer, but can’t anymore. Then we started brainstorming ideas…
What good is it to teach people how to be good entrepreneurs if you don’t make more places for them to try out tiny business ideas? Right now, once they finish the class, they need to have all their ducks in a row in order to go into business in the traditional ways. In order…
Since 2006, this site has been helping people like you in small towns move forward without waiting on outside experts, big budgets, or perfect plans. You don’t need any of that to get started.
If you care about your business, your downtown, or your community, you’ll find ideas here you can actually use. Take one. Try it out. Let me know how it goes for you.
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.
We partner with campaigns and organizations that we think best benefit rural small businesses.
Copyright © 2006–2026 Becky McCray • Site by Webdancers