Small retail spaces like retail collectives and shed markets generate prosperity for rural areas and small towns when they: give small business ideas an affordable foothold create experiences that draw customers in build on the element of discovery for customers test promising retail concepts shelter businesses too small to survive on their own fill gaps […]
Tourism: Make the most of scant remains and “not much to see” sites with a look-through sign
Here’s a tourism tip from a roadside stop from my long drive to visit rural communities in Eastern Colorado. The Santa Fe Trail wagon ruts are still visible near Lakin in Western Kansas. You can walk across the little dam, past the tree and right out to the original trail, but there isn’t a lot […]
Seasonal business: How to beat the annual “no bookings!” panic
Do you tend to panic about a lack of business at a certain point during the year? Do you always feel like you’ll never get enough bookings for the fall? I know several independent professionals who feel like this: a professional photographer who always worries in late summer that there won’t be enough bookings for […]
Recession? Practical steps from 3 international peers
I have a monthly call with 2 international business friends where we share our work and mentor each other. Last week, one of them asked how we felt and what we planned for possible recession. Decide for Impact coach Erno Hannink studies the stoic philosophy and says not to worry about this kind of issue. Focus […]
Reaching “at risk” kids for local jobs
Workforce is a challenge for 2/3rds of rural small businesses. Source: Survey of Rural Challenges, 2021 One under-utilized source of workers: At-risk students Tony Guidroz, from San Saba, Texas, told me he was shocked when he found out there were 702 kids in the local school district, and more than 400 were considered “at-risk” either […]
Rural and Small Town Speaker Becky McCray
Becky McCray is a rural speaker available for in person, hybrid and virtual events. She has spoken at events in the USA, Canada, Australia and UK. I help you shape a brighter future for your town no matter what the negative people do, giving you practical steps you can put into action right away. My […]
Has your community made negativity a habit?
Living in a small town, we are often inclined to see change in our community as a threat to ourselves and our way of life. When we feel threatened by change, uncertainty rears its ugly head and our negativity often takes over. We say things like “What’s wrong with the way we’ve always done it?” […]
3 Major factors in rural remote work: incentives, flexible workspaces, and a sense of community
Remote work will dominate the future small town workforce Your current residents Your current small town residents will increasingly work from home or remotely. Gallup looked at jobs that could be done remotely and the locations where workers actually did them. Four times as many workers will work remotely going forward, compared to the number […]
How to recruit new residents, remote workers, or remote entrepreneurs
The most common thing rural people ask us about remote workers is how to attract them. To find out what will make your town attractive, let’s look at what attracts people to your town right now. Every town has some people moving in every year, and we don’t notice them. We are far more aware […]
About Small Town Rules
Your Sample of Small Town Rules Read the full introduction and get a feel for what’s in the book before you lay out your cash. PDF Sample Or browse an excerpt at Google Books Ready to buy? All your shopping options are here. What’s in Small Town Rules Technology and economics are transforming business in a completely unexpected […]
