The small town business owner today has lots of new channels available to use in getting their marketing message out. Yet that very factor, since many of these channels are using online media tools, makes business owners nervous on which channel to use and how to use it effectively. The reality is that the choice…
Best small town economic development idea I’ve seen in months, hands down. My friend Deb Brown is the new director of the Webster City, Iowa, Chamber of Commerce. Deb looked at the empty store fronts downtown and other available buildings around town as opportunities. So she and her new team in Webster City decided to…
While big companies go on debating work from home, remote work or telecommuting, small town businesses continue making the best of technology to get work done regardless of location. Barry Moltz said we are more productive alone, but more innovative together.* The productivity part comes from being able to focus on work without co-workers interrupting….
The Brag Basket is our tradition of sharing. The basket is always free and open all weekend, this one May 3-5, 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….
We love sharing small town business ideas, and this one came from Pamela at the Kansas Kids “More Than a Museum” in Hutchinson, Kansas. Seems a woman living in Hutch is a good vegetable gardener. So her business is helping out those who need help with their gardens. Not landscaping, or yard work, but vegetable…
Guest post by John C. Shepard, AICP, Laramie County, Cheyenne, Wyoming Small town and rural planning is not city planning writ small. Yet we are also part of the same global economy as our urban cousins, facing the same economic and demographic trends. Over 5,000 urban and regional planners traveled to Chicago last week from…
Do you know what the most commonly asked question is at any of my talks? It’s always about dealing with the negative people, the people who say you can’t, the roadblocks. Jack Schultz calls them the CAVE people: the Citizens Against Virtually Everything. I find that encouraging and discouraging all in one. It’s encouraging because…
One of the principles of a small town business is to be personal. Sometimes, automation can help you to be personal. Here’s what I mean. A friend was taking registrations for an event. If you’ve ever dealt with event registrations, you know it generates a lot of emails. One of the options in his marketing…
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