Luling, Texas, has a terrific Chamber of Commerce Shop Local campaign, using “Homegrown” as the theme. They are profiling local businesses in the news paper, organizing cash mobs, and more. They even posted a big sign pointing highway travelers to the downtown business district. How are you cultivating your local economy? If it includes a…
You remember your small town back when there was a drugstore downtown, and lots of shops, and the theater was a happening place. You remember two hardware stores and independent gas stations. But it’s not like that anymore. You feel so sad when you think of what your town is now. Can you ever revive…
Congratulations to Shelbie Huff (nominated by Alok Gupta)! She received the HP Folio 13 laptop. Our judge was moved by her story, and by the fact that Alok was kind enough to nominate her. We’re hoping to get a quote or photo from Shelbie to share with you soon. It was great to hear from all of you how…
The Brag Basket is our tradition of sharing. The basket is always free and open all weekend, this one June 22-24, 2012. Have some good news this week? Put it in the Brag Basket. Take the Brag Basket with you!Photo (CC) by Tony Hammond. Don’t hold back because of that word, “brag.” When you hold…
Starting is easy. Finishing is hard. And we all tend to beat ourselves up over our many unfinished projects. I have just as many as you do, I’m sure. So here’s a trick I thought of while talking with the very smart Rob Hatch, and I think it has real potential. We all have trouble finishing…
The Brag Basket is our tradition of sharing. The basket is always free and open all weekend, this one June 15-17, 2012. Have some good news this week? Put it in the Brag Basket. Celebrating our first tomato this year!Photo (CC) by Chiot’s Run Don’t hold back because of that word, “brag.” When you hold…
HP offered us the chance to review an HP Folio 13 UltraBook, and to give away another one to you. Enter the giveaway at Sharing the HP Folio 13, deadline is Friday! (June 15, 2012) I’m a sucker for a great keyboard. I’ve worked with the Folio 13 for a couple of weeks now, and…
QR codes are everywhere, or so it seems. Most suffer from one or more of the 7 QR code mistakes that can kill your promotions. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, I saw one tourism campaign that actually avoids all those mistakes: The GR Tag Tour. The signs are posted on existing sign posts, with enough…
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.
Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.
We partner with campaigns and organizations that we think best benefit rural small businesses.
Copyright © 2006–2026 Becky McCray • Site by Webdancers