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Young Americans Returning to Rural for More than Just Holiday Dinners

By Small Biz Survival

A group of diverse young people in a casual bar setting. One is holding a mic and speaking as others listen.

by Caroline Tremblay, The Daily Yonder August 5, 2024 Kansas: Elevate the work of younger people In rural Kansas, if you’re between the ages of 21 and 39ish, you might be considered a PowerUp —  but not just because of your age or location. A PowerUp is someone who is rural by choice. “The name […]

August 7, 2024 Filed Under: community, rural, trends, youth Tagged With: community development, guest post, rural, youth

Pet friendly business opportunities

By Becky McCray

In front of a downtown building, a small rectangle of turf grass provides a pet relief area. A bag dispenser is mounted on a pole nearby.

Any business can offer pet friendly amenities In 2023, SaveYour.Town identified pet friendly communities as a Top Topic. Here’s an example of a business offering a pet friendly amenity. In Palouse, Washington, a local veterinarian has an office in the downtown. Out front, they’ve installed a small patch of artificial turf as a pet relief […]

April 29, 2024 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, trends Tagged With: pet grooming

Small town retail topics from IEDC conference: getting owners to improve their buildings, recruiting chain groceries and supporting local retail startups

By Becky McCray

IEDC 2023 annual conference logotype over a nighttime skyline of Dallas, Texas.

I’m sharing notes from sessions and conversations at the International Economic Development Council annual conference in Dallas. First up: Retail! Lacy Beasley of Retail Strategies moderated a panel on retail real estate and development. While it was mostly big city stuff, several topics were relevant for smaller towns. How to convince a property owner to […]

October 9, 2023 Filed Under: economic development, rural, trends Tagged With: retail

Empty Building idea: Make a Zen-like space for your people

By Becky McCray

Steal this healing and calming idea for your downtown! At the Main Street Now Conference in Boston, I joined a trolley tour of the six Dorchester Main Streets. We got a chance to walk through The Guild‘s expansive building. While this space is only one of many projects of The Guild, it was the one that […]

August 2, 2023 Filed Under: community, rural, survivors, trends Tagged With: community building, experience economy

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