This one is especially for the downtown businesses. Standing in downtown Waterville, Maine, surrounding by big crowds for the Memorial Day parade, Marc Pitman tweeted in frustration: The marketer in me is going nuts. Hundreds of people here downtown. WHY AREN’T BUSINESSES OPEN!? Selling coffee, anything for foot traffic! — Marc A. Pitman (@marcapitman) May…
How can you best help in a disaster? Donating: Send money. Do not send clothes or supplies. Check with state or local government for lists of donation needs. For Oklahoma, start with the State of Oklahoma donation page. Volunteering: Don’t go there to volunteer until you find an organization that has a specific need for you….
Economic developers have a reputation for being secretive and even hoarding data. Alva’s Chamber of Commerce is trying to be different and releasing a key set of retail data to the public. Alexandra Mantz (just call her Alex) serves as both director for the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Director for the City of…
Last week, I had the chance to tour two agri-tourism operations near my hometown of Alva, Oklahoma. Here are their stories. Bradt’s Menagerie Jerad and JoDe Bradt wanted to get their kids out of video games and more into the real world. Jerad suggested they try raising chickens. JoDe had raised chicks when she was…
A great deal of information about starting a business is available. Some of the information is accurate and helpful. Other information is best called a myth, although it may hold a grain of truth. Probably the biggest myth is that of “free money” available for starting a business. The reality is that there is little…
Placemaking is all about the planning, design and management of the public spaces and assets in your town. When done right, placemaking involves asking the people who actually live and work there, who use the public spaces, what they need, and then actually listening to the answers. Think of it this way: instead of planning…
Best small town economic development idea I’ve seen in months, hands down. My friend Deb Brown is the new director of the Webster City, Iowa, Chamber of Commerce. Deb looked at the empty store fronts downtown and other available buildings around town as opportunities. So she and her new team in Webster City decided to…
While big companies go on debating work from home, remote work or telecommuting, small town businesses continue making the best of technology to get work done regardless of location. Barry Moltz said we are more productive alone, but more innovative together.* The productivity part comes from being able to focus on work without co-workers interrupting….
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