A small business lost their chance because they didn’t get specific. I was looking for shampoo in bar form. (It’s great for travel.) I did some research on my own, and I talked with friends online to get their recommendations. A friend on Twitter introduced me to a small soap maker. I asked the…
What if you cut out an entire group of potential customers? You just might succeed. Graham Reid from Charleville Bush Caravan Park in Australia has been telling me about their business’s success with allowing non-smokers only. It’s the kind of niche idea that many rural businesses could adapt. There are a few parks that ban…
People ask all the time how they can help save their small town. I always say, “start your own business.” Here are four reasons why starting your own business is the best thing you can do to help your small town prosper. 1. When you start a business, you decide what values to put…
Many small businesses collect email addresses from their customers, but they never do anything with them. That’s a missed opportunity. Other small businesses have built their entire presence on Facebook, so they have no control over who does or does not get their messages. Email remains a tool that you control. You decide when…
People going into business want to be successful. Lots of tips about success can be found online and in writing. Yet one tip is consistently seen and offers a great track record – Make good decisions, and do it consistently. It may seem obvious that successful business owners are good decision makers. In reality,…
Grant Griffiths Interview Grant Griffiths founded a global high-tech company from his basement in a small town of fewer than 4,000 people, and he’s been successful for five years now. Grant explains how he founded his business with his son and works with a virtual team of people all over the world. Grant likes…
During a break at an event last year, a small town yoga studio owner and I talked about her marketing. She knows that if people come to one class, they usually like it and return. She asked if she should make that first class free to get them in the door. I said no,…
Donna Maria Interview Donna Maria is one of those people who just makes me happy. She’s a practical business owner, she’s a mentor to others, and she knows that it’s up to us to create our own future. Donna Maria saw a recent news story with yet another negative view of rural that…
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