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How to get the city to suspend the rules for you

By Deb Brown

A woman carries an up-cycled chair she bought at Junque Fest surrounded by a diverse crowd

  By Deb Brown When I was Chamber of Commerce Director in Webster City, Iowa, one of our big events was Junquefest, a three day event where vendors come to town and sell all kinds of junque. We wanted to close the streets and let the vendors park their trailers by their booths. That was […]

January 7, 2020 Filed Under: community, entrepreneurship, rural Tagged With: Climate, community, Deb Brown, events, permission, regulations, rules

A Homegrown Shop Local campaign

By Becky McCray

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 […]

June 27, 2012 Filed Under: economic development, shop local Tagged With: Climate, video

Building a local business alliance

By Becky McCray

BALLE is the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. It’s all about local businesses working together to make their local economy prosper, with a focus on locally-owned businesses, sustainability, green jobs, and thinking local first. There is a national organization, and local networks have formed in many cities, towns and regions. I’m reporting today from […]

May 16, 2012 Filed Under: community, economic development, entrepreneurship, trends Tagged With: Climate, Support

Is my small town the only one that is this messed up?

By Becky McCray

Yes, I do get asked “Is my small town the only one that is this messed up?” The answer is no, you are not alone. We all wonder about it. We all think we must have the most messed up small town anywhere. We deal with some part of the continuum of bad behavior: pettiness backstabbing […]

April 11, 2012 Filed Under: Best of, community, entrepreneurship, rural, survivors Tagged With: Climate, Support

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