Marci Penner, executive director of the Kansas Sampler Foundation, has lots of ideas of how to solve the volunteer shortage. She’s looking at all new ways to involve and engage people in small towns, with the WeKan volunteer program! Apologies for the dark video. It’s really dark in that barn! Marci also has a…
Overhead a great discussion on Twitter today. Cody Heitschmidt is on vacation in Texhoma, but his brain is still coming up with small town promotion ideas. @codyks:Small towns: when u have visitors, do u knock hospitality out the park? Its dirt cheap 2 do but leaves priceless memories. Take em coffee…what if someone from your…
Each Friday, I open the Brag Basket for the weekend. It’s designed as a fun place for you to share your projects and accomplishments. But you can also cheer for other people, give shout outs, congratulate, and even give someone a well-deserved pat on the back. Think that bragging is a bad thing? Read how Tony…
Two examples of customer service opportunities. The other day I walked into a donut place for a cup of coffee. I was pretty focused on my next task as I ordered a small decaf. I got my coffee, paid my $1.39 plus tax. As I turned to walk out, I saw the sign. “Large coffee…
Dave Ivan of Michigan State University Extension rocked the house at the Michigan Small Town and Rural Development Conference with his “Can Small Towns Be Cool?” presentation. He showered us with ideas and examples gathered from 250 community visits, a literature review and the Michigan “Cool Cities Initiative” survey of young professionals. He grouped his…
Every business has to write. Everything from websites to local ads. Guest author Denise McGill contributed an outstanding series of articles about writing at Small Biz Survival. It was such a great series, so practical, that I asked her to create an ebook of the series, so we could share it further. Denise put it…
As you work to promote your small town, you’re looking for your special qualities. Marci Penner, executive director of the Kansas Sampler Foundation, walks us through the eight rural culture elements. Using this framework, any town of any size can answer the question, “what is there to see or do here?” Read more about the…
One more thing. Never be afraid to make a mistake. Sometimes a “good mistake” becomes someone elses big discovery and innovation and contribution to the world. Many of the things discovered during the past 100 years came not because someone was out to discover them but because someone was trying to do something else and…
Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.
We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.
Meet our authors on the About page.
Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.
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