Small communities often are looking for ways to enhance and expand their local economies. A commonly used tool in this effort is encouraging the building and expansion of local businesses. Communities want jobs and dollars, and they usually want them relatively quickly. Often development plans look towards high-fliers and/or large firms. Yet, the local business…
I attended the EntreEd Consortium Forum in Oklahoma City with the National Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education. The session on engaging businesses with school entrepreneurship programs generated a lot of interesting thoughts for me as a business owner sitting in on a discussion among educators. Businesses are desperately interested in skills in the workforce. It’s a natural…
Last week, I attended the EntreEd Consortium Forum in Oklahoma City with the National Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education. I was there because I believe small towns don’t need kids who will graduate high school or return from college, then look around for a job. We need kids who will graduate, then look for an…
As a small-business owner, how often have you said, in conversation, “I can’t compete with the big stores?” How often has a customer been told you can’t do something because this is just a small business? Stop it! That sounds harsh, but your words just made you your worst competition. Instead, offer the customer information…
A downtown retail store owner told me she closes at 5 pm because she hates to stay later. She gets to work at 8 am most days, and so at 5 pm she’s ready to go home. She doesn’t like to delegate at all, she told me, and she wouldn’t ask anyone to do anything…
When you think of good customer service when you have a product issue what comes to mind? To me it starts with fixing the issue. Words like prompt, fair and immediate come to mind along with getting having it happen quickly with the first person I contact. As a business owner, we want to believe…
You don’t have to settle for a normal business. Rural businesses are exploring new shapes, new locations and new ways of doing business. Here are six innovative ways people are building businesses in small towns today. 1. Pop-ups These are temporary business that may last from just one day to several months. You’ve seen short-term…
Starting a business is risky. Data the U.S. Census Bureau has gathered show maybe 20 percent of businesses do not last through the first year, and 70 to 80 percent will not be around five years after starting. While that information may be depressing and suggest you not even try, you have ways to increase…
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