Guest post by Lyn Falk Retailworks, Inc. Your storefront says a lot about you and your business, actually. It’s your customer’s first impression of your brand. When competing with the big box retailers that are inevitably on the outskirts of your town, you need to turn on the charm––something the national chains can’t compete with! Think of someone…
Dina Jackson is with the City of Harriman, in Tennessee, USA. The city government owns 9 vacant properties, including a hospital building and a couple of houses. Rather than hide them, the city decided to show them off. They invited folks to tour the buildings and asked for offers. “We are now in the…
Barry Moltz is my co-author on the book Small Town Rules. He was a great friend to work with and helped me immensely in understanding the book publishing process. Barry knows a lot about small towns. Even though he lives in Chicago, he’s got a strong small town connection. –Becky By Barry Moltz I grew…
I think the definition of “small business” is just too broad. It covers everyone from the part-time self-employed to the 500-employee business, and every government agency in every country has their own definition. Our advice here at Small Biz Survival is targeted to businesses based outside of big cities. We try to be the…
The Brag Basket is our tradition of sharing. The basket is always free and open all weekend, this one September 20-22, 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….
In many communities, the small-business owner is the cornerstone of support for various charitable functions and events. Small-business owners don’t just provide dollars, products and services; they often take on leadership and volunteer roles that allow the community to maintain itself and grow. The support of small-business owners to their community should be applauded. Their…
A few weeks ago, we had an interesting discussion about “Copy and Paste Towns” in our weekly newsletter. I mentioned how national chains want to “copy and paste” their standard template on your town. No one wants their small town to end up looking just like every other town and suburb. And we don’t…
I spent half an hour on the phone with a young man who is volunteering to help his community reach more visitors. It’s a town of around 1,000 people, with many of the same challenges other towns of all sizes face. The old guard folks just don’t get it yet, and he wants to find a…
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