A great deal of information about starting a business is available. Some of the information is accurate and helpful. Other information is best called a myth, although it may hold a grain of truth. Probably the biggest myth is that of “free money” available for starting a business. The reality is that there is little…
Placemaking is all about the planning, design and management of the public spaces and assets in your town. When done right, placemaking involves asking the people who actually live and work there, who use the public spaces, what they need, and then actually listening to the answers. Think of it this way: instead of planning…
Small town businesses sometimes struggle for the right words to describe themselves. At a conference lunch table, the yoga instructor was trying to explain to the middle-aged guy from the economic development group what a yoga class is like. At first it made sense, but when she got to the part about breathing into the…
As we celebrate the one year anniversary of Small Town Rules and winning a 2013 Small Business Book Award, we’ve asked a few friends to share the rules that are a part of their business every day. Today, Jon Swanson explains how he uses these rules as a pastor. Jon’s church is in a small…
As we celebrate the one year anniversary of Small Town Rules and winning a 2013 Small Business Book Award, we’ve asked a few friends to share the rules that are a part of their business every day. Andy Hayes used this idea to talk about the difference between a complex business and a sophisticated business,…
The Brag Basket is our tradition of sharing. The basket is always free and open all weekend, this one May 10-12, 2013. That includes Mother’s Day in the U.S. 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…
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…
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