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Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource
  • entrepreneurship | ideas | rural | trends

    Metaverse business idea: virtual world tour guide

    ByBecky McCray April 15, 2022

      Are you a proficient online gamer or metaworld master based in a rural community? You could make a small business out of being a virtual world tour guide. Years ago, a now-defunct business ideas site profiled Synthtravels, a business that offered guided tours of online virtual worlds. If you’ve heard of the metaverse or…

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  • Small Steps with kettle corn
    entrepreneurship | planning | rural | youth

    How to start a real small small business

    ByBecky McCray December 17, 2021

      Your fellow reader Ava asked a great question: If I am already working, in school, and wanting to start up just a real small small business, then how would that work differently from someone who is coming from a completely different stand point, like not working or in school and is just generally starting…

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  • Several apples on a tree, closeup
    economic development | entrepreneurship | ideas | rural

    Rural business idea: sell foraged fruits and more

    ByBecky McCray August 3, 2021July 27, 2021

    By Becky McCray Need an idea for your next small town or rural business? This one would make a good side hustle: Gather and resell fruit that would otherwise be wasted. Think of all the fruit, berries and nuts that no one picks, especially in yards and public spaces in your town. You don’t have…

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  • Young man helps abuela with a cell phone
    community | economic development | entrepreneurship | ideas | rural | tech | youth

    Youth business idea: phone clinics

    ByBecky McCray July 8, 2019June 24, 2019

      Looking for the perfect instant summer business idea for young entrepreneurs? Try phone clinics. I saw this idea pop-up in a meeting that involved a cross section of the town of Cathlamet, Washington. People of all ages were there: students from the high school, county commissioners, chamber of commerce members. One of the adults…

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  • Small Biz 100 | success

    Be Careful What You Wish For!

    ByGlenn Muske November 8, 2017November 7, 2017

    “If only” is a statement I hear often from small-business owners. Sometimes the wishes are big and grandiose. But most of the time, the wishes are just what one might expect such as more customers, a big order, more space or more money to work with or in the bank at the end of the…

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  • rural | Small Biz 100 | success

    Know What Your CUSTOMER Wants

    ByGlenn Muske April 16, 2015April 7, 2015

    Knowing what your customer wants is the base to building a successful business. Of course, you still must meet that need, let customers know you have what they want, and price it at a level that customers feel is acceptable. But the process begin with knowing the problem they are trying to solve. Market research is…

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