Small town tourism can take inspiration from the Smithsonian Institution’s list of best small towns to visit in the U.S. Their first list in 2012 was limited to towns under 25,000 in population. For 2013, they’ve changed the target to towns under 15,000 and put the focus on visiting rather than just giving a ranking. The…
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….
The Brag Basket is our tradition of sharing. The basket is always free and open all weekend, this one May 17-19, 2013. What good news will you add to the brag basket? Don’t hold back because of that word, “brag.” When you hold back, you hide your good news and accomplishments that might inspire others….
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…
Hiring the first employee is a huge step for a small business. If your small business has reached the point where you need help because the assistance of family and friends no longer covers the gaps, you may have reached the point where you need bring paid staff on board. (A previous Small Biz Survival…
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…
Remember the yoga instructor who is going to do a video for her business? She told me that once people come to one class, they usually come back. So how can she get more people to make it to the first class? By cutting down the hurdles that stand between them and the first class….
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