What if your town council, your chamber of commerce, and your school board sat down together for a public meeting just to compare calendars? What if these leaders started talking about possible cooperation, shared projects, or mutual goals? What if more local boards and leaders began to participate, aligning their own goals and efforts with…
Today, Sept 20, 2011, around 140 people from small towns in 18 states and 3 countries will gather in Hutchinson, Kansas, to share ideas, and another 3,000 or so will tune in via live stream online. 2010 140 Conference Small Town, Jeff Pulver and Becky McCray. Photo by Jerry Hirsch It’s the 140 Characters Conference,…
Every state has some capital funds, special loan programs, and other interesting business financing tools. Most are available only in some locations, and many that are widely available, like USDA funding, have different contact people in different places. How do you make sense of all that? Kansas put it on a map. A Map to…
Last week, I found myself in downtown Concrete, Washington, facing this huge map mural at the end of the street. I love the way the design works around the doorway. I even love the tag line, “Welcome to Concrete, center of the known universe.” As I figured out my location on the map, I realized…
Speakers from 17 states are converging on Kansas September 20, 2011, for a conversation about how high tech thrives outside Silicon Valley and all the usual big cities. This is not just a Kansas event. It’s not a local 140. It’s an international event that happens to be held in Kansas. And it’s the only…
Successful small town businesses keep it simple. Hart and Con Pekrul keep it simple.The secret to long-lasting success. Here’s what I noticed in the back room at a local winery, run by Con Pekrul. All the equipment is simple. Barrels and buckets, second hand tables, a used refrigerator. Here’s Con’s father Hart, filling bottles by hand….
Wondering what business to start? Looking for business ideas? Andy Hayes offers an excellent coaching package, two hours of one-on-one brainstorming and planning. He calls it Fireworks and Firebombs: Find a Business Idea that Gets You Excited and Will Pay the Bills. Disclosure: Andy Hayes is a friend. I am not an affiliate and do…
With small business lending incredibly tight, more innovative alternatives to financing are coming up. This one has a big string attached: a complete change in how you manage your business. Springfield Remanufacturing Company is a small city success, based in Springfield, Missouri. They got famous for using completely open book management, calling it the great…
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