Small towns have endured boom and bust cycles, commodity crashes, mill and factory closures, environmental disasters and losing their economic reason for existing. Rural communities have reinvented themselves before, and rural businesses are re-inventing the way they do things. How Holyoke Hummus stays Idea Friendly through a crisis John is the owner of Holyoke Hummus…
As different places begin to allow local businesses to open up, you’re not alone if you’re breathing a sigh of relief mixed with a gasp of worry. We all need the money. We all want to get back to being useful for the people we serve. And some or most of us are worried about…
Monica Bailey of Rock Port, Missouri, sent in this question that I think you can relate to: Thank you ladies, as always, for supporting small towns! My question is super generic but it is giving me sleepless nights. I am our counties economic/community development director and I’ve been scrambling to support our small businesses…
Guest Post by Paula Jensen Leaders are the essence of small towns and rural communities. The success or failure of any housing, community or economic development efforts in the places we call home often rests upon the level of engagement and investment of local citizen leaders. Yet, in so many communities I work in across…
Buzz words, the hot topic – You know what I am talking about. Go to a networking event and just listen. As you listen, there is a good chance you will hear certain words, tactics, techniques or ideas brought up and discussed several times. These same words are ones that you are probably also seeing…
Let’s start with two underlying truths. First, you probably are near the point where your time is maxed out. It would be hard to add anything more and still manage to stay on top of everything at work and in your personal life. Second, things change and there are always new opportunities and requirements coming…
The world we live in is not a static place. This is true in every aspect of life, including small business. For small-business owners, things are changing, and those changes are happening at an ever-increasing pace. Doing business tomorrow will be different than doing business today. And doing business next week might be something we…
Is 2015 the year you want to start your small business? If so, have you sat down to develop your business plan yet? Check out most how-to business guides and you will find a section on writing a business plan. Yet ask business owners and you often hear that they did a plan only because…
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