Guest Post by Deb Brown, Webster City, Iowa, Area Chamber of Commerce My friend Kevin told me a story. Kevin has just bought the business he’s worked in for over 15 years, located on Main Street in my small town, Webster City, Iowa. He’s renamed it Interior Spaces because he’s a decorator and he…
Today is National Agriculture Day in the US. I’m proud to be in agriculture as a rancher here in Oklahoma. I’m also proud of the role that agribusiness plays in small towns all over the world. Agriculture is a key part of rural prosperity. Ag-based businesses in the US are almost unbelievably diverse. farms ranches…
This is another list of ideas that came from a question by a real business owner. How do you get the word out about events in small towns? They were kind of stuck for ideas, past having the Chamber of Commerce send an email and creating a Facebook event. So what else could they do?…
Businesspeople want to know why they ought to pay dues to a business association. The association wants to know why businesses that don’t pay should reap any benefits. When an association helps produce events, advertises, puts up signs, produces brochures or maps, all the businesses profit from the betterment of the town whether they…
Our friend Leslie McLellan shared a question from one of her Lake Arrowhead Village locals who will be opening a new gift shop. “We would like to have a Grand Opening weekend event special at the end of April. Other than having special sales, we’re at a loss for what to do. Do you have any…
Keeping your business legal is an issue for all businesses, big and small. Businesses face a number of legal hurdles, from ensuring you properly register your business, report sales, income and wages, and make appropriate tax deposits, to following employment rules and regulations. Small-business owners understand that failure to follow all of these and…
Over on our Facebook page, Michelle K. Sholund asked: “Hey! I have an issue I want to propose. I am an owner of a small business – a gift shop that happens to handmake our own candles in the shop – in Maryland. We are getting bombarded with requests for donations anywhere from 2-5 a…
More people have a home-based business than you might think. On average, one of every 10 households is operating one or more home-based businesses. In rural areas, that number is often higher. And these numbers typically do not take into account farm and ranch operations which, by most definitions, would be considered a home-based business….
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