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…
Because I’ve been an entrepreneur since junior high school, I’ve been asked to help with all kinds of entrepreneur support over the decades. I’ve taught entrepreneur classes, I’ve been part of day-long entrepreneur events, I’ve taught workshops and I’ve been a mentor in formal and informal ways. And I’ve been thinking lately about what…
Are you an entrepreneur or a small-business owner? When one reads stories in the newspaper or journals, these two groups are not distinguished from each other typically. Neither the U.S. Small Business Administration nor the U.S. Census Bureau breaks them out separately. So does it make a difference? Or should the writings about building the…
How many hits did you get? Or how many people saw your ad? If you have read many articles on marketing, especially those talking about social media marketing, you may come away with the idea that marketing is a numbers game. The more people who “like” your page or respond to your advertisement, the better…
What plans are you making for your business? For many of us, the idea of developing a plan is just overwhelming, scary and something we often just don’t do. It sounds tedious and time-consuming, and is seen as something that’s useful only as a doorstop. Yet ask a business owner who takes the planning process…
Is your business the “best-kept secret?” While that question should make you smile, it also should raise a concern. Reaching your full potential will not happen if people don’t know your business exists. How do you know if you are the best-kept secret? If you finish a sale and your customer comments she wishes she had…
Local food interest is creating opportunities across the country. This interest is evident when you examine the growth in the number of growers and farmers markets. It also is noticeable in the news and on social media, where you see and hear phrases such as “local foods,” “local producers,” “food hubs,” and “regional food systems,”…
Today, you have unprecedented support available to help you build and improve your business and to survive any economic conditions. No matter how small a town or isolated an area you live in, internet access connects you to astounding resources. You can read advice from experts, including those in your own field. You can connect…
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