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Practical ideas for small town business and community builders

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Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource
  • planning | rural | Small Biz 100

    Think Process, Not Product, When Doing Small-business Planning

    ByGlenn Muske April 9, 2015April 7, 2015

    Is 2015 the year you want to start your small business?  If so, have you sat down to develop your business plan yet?  Check out most how-to business guides and you will find a section on writing a business plan. Yet ask business owners and you often hear that they did a plan only because…

    Read More Think Process, Not Product, When Doing Small-business PlanningContinue

  • Survey Crew Ahead. Photo by RustyClark on Flickr
    announcement | rural | Survey of Rural Challenges

    What’s challenging you? Take the 4 question survey

    BySmall Biz Survival April 8, 2015June 9, 2026

    I’ve been thinking about a long list of challenges for small town businesses and for people who care about shaping the future of their towns. Rather than me deciding which ones are most important for you, I’ve decided to ask you directly. So I have a four-question survey. I’d love to hear about your challenges….

    Read More What’s challenging you? Take the 4 question surveyContinue

  • Six ways to use a tablet to boost your small business productivity
    entrepreneurship | organization | Small Biz 100 | tools

    Six ways to use a tablet to boost your small business productivity

    ByBecky McCray April 6, 2015September 28, 2016

      “Man, getting iPads was like discovering fire,” Lance Morgan, CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., told me years ago. It’s still true that tablets can revolutionize business, but they can also be a boost to your personal productivity. We talked about ways to use tablets in retail businesses, and this time we’re talking about ways you can…

    Read More Six ways to use a tablet to boost your small business productivityContinue

  • Get your good news in early for the Brag Basket
    brag basket

    Get your good news in early for the Brag Basket

    BySmall Biz Survival April 2, 2015

    The Brag Basket is open! This one is for April 3-5, 2015. (Actually, I opened just a little early for Marc Pitman.) Bring your good news to share with everyone. What can you do in the Brag Basket? introduce yourself share some great news from this week congratulate a friend applaud for each other confess…

    Read More Get your good news in early for the Brag BasketContinue

  • Deb Brown in Webster City, Iowa.
    customer service | entrepreneurship | rural

    How small businesses can beat the big boxes: be nice

    ByBecky McCray March 30, 2015March 29, 2015

      Guest Post by Deb Brown, Webster City, Iowa, Area Chamber of Commerce My friend Kevin told me a story. Kevin has just bought the business he’s worked in for over 15 years, located on Main Street in my small town, Webster City, Iowa. He’s renamed it Interior Spaces because he’s a decorator and he…

    Read More How small businesses can beat the big boxes: be niceContinue

  • brag basket

    Load up on good news in the Brag Basket

    BySmall Biz Survival March 27, 2015March 22, 2015

    The Brag Basket is open! This one is for March 27-29, 2015. Bring your good news to share with everyone. What can you do in the Brag Basket? introduce yourself share some great news from this week congratulate a friend applaud for each other confess your undying love for rural places How do you join…

    Read More Load up on good news in the Brag BasketContinue

  • 10 Ways to use an iPad or Android tablet in retail
    entrepreneurship | Small Biz 100 | tools

    10 Ways to use an iPad or Android tablet in retail

    ByBecky McCray March 23, 2015May 27, 2016

      I run a retail store in a small town, and I love technology. That’s why I came up with these ten ways you can put an Android tablet or iPad to work in your rural retail business. 1. Take payments at the Point of Sale Throw away your old cash register. A tablet makes…

    Read More 10 Ways to use an iPad or Android tablet in retailContinue

  • Put any good news you find in the Brag Basket
    brag basket

    Put any good news you find in the Brag Basket

    BySmall Biz Survival March 20, 2015March 15, 2015

      The Brag Basket is open! This one is for March 20-22, 2015. Bring your good news to share with everyone. What can you do in the Brag Basket? introduce yourself share some great news from this week congratulate a friend applaud for each other confess your undying love for rural places How do you…

    Read More Put any good news you find in the Brag BasketContinue

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Since 2006, this site has been helping people like you in small towns move forward without waiting on outside experts, big budgets, or perfect plans. You don’t need any of that to get started.

If you care about your business, your downtown, or your community, you’ll find ideas here you can actually use. Take one. Try it out. Let me know how it goes for you.

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