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Small Biz Survival

Practical ideas for small town business and community builders

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Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource
  • A very busy, full planner with many notes, highlights and scribbles.
    entrepreneurship | management | planning | rural | Small Biz 100

    You don’t have 52 weeks this year

    ByRob Hatch December 9, 2024December 9, 2024

    By Rob Hatch Thirty-six weeks. Part of my process for planning my business for the New Year is to do a little reality check on exactly how much time I have to work with. What are you talking about, Rob? You have a year. Technically, that’s true. However, on closer inspection, I only have 36…

    Read More You don’t have 52 weeks this yearContinue

  • Three quilts on display in early 2020 at Mississippi Cultural Crossroads Port Gibson Mississippi. Photo by Sheila Scarborough.
    entrepreneurship | failure | rural | Small Biz 100

    Test your business idea with small steps: starting a quilt retreat

    ByBecky McCray May 7, 2024

    Uniontown, Washington, (population 300) has a strong base of arts, artisan and craft entrepreneurship. When I toured Uniontown, a woman spoke up who wants to start a quilt retreat, a place for people to come and quilt together. More than a local quilting bee, she’s imagining a full retreat space. She owns a historic home…

    Read More Test your business idea with small steps: starting a quilt retreatContinue

  • Two people are pointing to features on a brick building in a small town downtown
    economic development | entrepreneurship | marketing | mistakes | rural

    Seasonal businesses: post signs year-round

    ByBecky McCray April 22, 2024

    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…

    Read More Seasonal businesses: post signs year-roundContinue

  • A group of people seated at outdoor tables in front of a tapas restaurant in Portugal. They turn and smile for the camera.
    entrepreneurship | global | rural

    GEW: Rural Entrepreneurship in small villages in Portugal – panel video

    ByDeb Brown November 19, 2023

    Part of our Global Entrepreneurship Week celebration Nov 13-19, 2023. Speaking about small businesses, entrepreneurship and sharing rural stories Story and photos by Deb Brown I was invited to speak in Portugal by my friend and business associate Frederico Lucas. My first night in Lisbon I spoke at this event hosted at the coworking space NOW…

    Read More GEW: Rural Entrepreneurship in small villages in Portugal – panel videoContinue

  • A group of skiers in colorful outfits on snowy slopes. Banners in Japanese script are in the foreground.
    entrepreneurship | global | management | POV | rural | tourism | workforce

    Surviving the Peaks and Valleys of Seasonal Small Business in a Rural Ski Town

    BySmall Biz Survival November 17, 2023November 19, 2023

    Part of our Global Entrepreneurship Week celebration Nov 13-19, 2023. Guest post by Mike Humphrey, Japan Skiing has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I don’t know why my parents decided skiing would be our family sport. They were not avid skiers, and we didn’t live in a ski…

    Read More Surviving the Peaks and Valleys of Seasonal Small Business in a Rural Ski TownContinue

  • empty lot pop up
    economic development | entrepreneurship | rural | success

    Pop Up in An Empty Lot

    ByDeb Brown November 15, 2023November 9, 2023

    Part of our Global Entrepreneurship Week celebration Nov 13-19, 2023. Starting a business the old way is hard On an Idea Friendly visit to Jackson County, Kentucky, I visited with a group of artists/entrepreneurs. This group had created a loose organization called the Jackson County KY Creative Community. They wanted to start businesses, but were…

    Read More Pop Up in An Empty LotContinue

  • Multicolor logo with text that says "Global Entrepreneurship Week"
    economic development | entrepreneurship | global | rural

    Entrepreneur week advice for small towns: 3 practical steps for economic developers and chambers of commerce

    ByBecky McCray November 14, 2023November 9, 2023

    Part of our Global Entrepreneurship Week celebration Nov 13-19, 2023. Last year during entrepreneurship week, I saw lots of articles about what big cities can do to support entrepreneurship. Advice for small towns got left out. Again. So I wrote this entrepreneur week advice for small town economic developers and chambers of commerce, whether you…

    Read More Entrepreneur week advice for small towns: 3 practical steps for economic developers and chambers of commerceContinue

  • A shopkeeper and a customer share a laugh in a small store packed full of interesting home wares.
    Best of | marketing | rural | shop local

    How to get customers in the door of small town and rural retail stores

    ByBecky McCray February 19, 2023March 12, 2025

      If you have a retail store in a small town, you know how difficult it can be to attract customers in the door. With so much online competition and limited resources, it is hard to get people in the store and buying your products. In this article, we’ll share some of our best ways…

    Read More How to get customers in the door of small town and rural retail storesContinue

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