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How independent retailers can trick Alexa, Siri, and Google Home to capture orders from local customers

By Becky McCray

  People are happily using smart voice assistants more than ever. You know their names: Alexa, Siri, Google, Cortana. It’s so easy (and fun!) to just say what you want, and your magical assistant orders it for you. Then it shows up at your doorstep, and you’re living in the future! This isn’t great for […]

January 29, 2018 Filed Under: Best of, entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, tech, tools Tagged With: retail

Rural addresses are confusing to outsiders, but a new tool aims to change that with just 3 words

By Becky McCray

  You know how we give directions in small towns, right? We point you to houses by who used to live there, “the Allen place,” or direct you to turn where things used to be, “where that old barn burned down.” We do this in town and out in the country. This drives newcomers and […]

December 4, 2017 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, rural, tools, trends

What small businesses can do with Facebook Live and other streaming video

By Becky McCray

  Live streaming video provides you new ways to reach customers and promote your small business. Today’s tools include Facebook Live, Instagram and Snapchat Live Stories, Google Hangouts that stream live on YouTube, Periscope video that streams on Twitter, and even stolid old LinkedIn that will let you pipe in live video from your Facebook […]

October 16, 2017 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, marketing, social media, tools

Where to find photos online that you can use for your business

By Becky McCray

  Between writing blog posts, sharing on social media, and creating graphics for my business, I’m always using photos. As much as possible, I use my own photos or ones that rural friends have shared with me with permission to re-use them. But I still find places I need a photo that I don’t have […]

September 4, 2017 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, marketing, tools

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