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How to let customers know when changing your business hours

By Becky McCray

Screenshot of an instagram post with Christmas week business hours. One comment asks, "How late are you open new year's eve?"

Post extensively on social channels, and pin your hours post to the top of your page Your small business has times when you need to change your hours either for holidays, staff issues or (my favorite) extending into evening hours. How do you retrain your customers so they notice the change? Let’s look at a […]

March 12, 2025 Filed Under: customer service, entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, Small Biz 100, social media Tagged With: effective marketing, entrepreneurship, marketing, retail, rural, service businesses, small business

Make a “What to do in…” Pinterest Board

By Becky McCray

A Pinterest board showing local businesses and attractions in Crows Nest Pass, Alberta, Canada.

— How many times have you heard it? Someone lamenting, “There’s nothing to do here!” Worse yet, hearing someone tell visitors that. “What is there to do around here?” “Nothing, really. I don’t know.” Enough with that. Let’s give people an easy way to answer, and let’s do it the Idea Friendly way. Make a […]

September 11, 2024 Filed Under: community, economic development, marketing, rural, tools, tourism Tagged With: community development, effective marketing, experience economy, rural

Seasonal businesses: post signs year-round

By Becky McCray

Two people are pointing to features on a brick building in a small town downtown

Marketing tip: keep signs up year-round even if you’re a seasonal business. When I toured several small towns in Washington and Idaho with the Inland Northwest Partners, I noticed many part-time and seasonal businesses did not have signs up during their off season. In the town of Deary, Idaho, (population 500) there is a wine […]

April 22, 2024 Filed Under: economic development, entrepreneurship, marketing, mistakes, rural Tagged With: effective marketing, entrepreneurship, retail, seasonal business, service businesses, signage, small business marketing

The Allure of Authenticity: Rural stories can give your product a leg up

By Small Biz Survival

An open retail space with colorful and appealing displays of handcrafted goods

Why Rural Craftsmanship Resonates in Online Sales Guest post by Tance Hughes In today’s digital age, the online marketplace is bustling with options at every click. Amidst the buzz of big brands and flashy advertisements, there lies an understated yet profound power: the allure of authenticity. For rural entrepreneurs, this authenticity is rooted in their craft, […]

September 13, 2023 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, social media Tagged With: effective marketing, guest post, small business success

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