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Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource
  • A young girl carefully pours her own candle.
    economic development | entrepreneurship | rural | success | trends

    From Finance to Creativity: A Journey to Building an Experience-Based Business in Bellefontaine

    ByJamie Beasley April 7, 2025March 12, 2025

    In today’s fast-paced world, many individuals find themselves stuck in careers that fail to ignite their passions. For some, the journey to rediscovering creativity can lead to unexpected and fulfilling paths. This is the story of one such entrepreneur who transitioned from a corporate finance job to creating a vibrant experience-based business in downtown Bellefontaine….

    Read More From Finance to Creativity: A Journey to Building an Experience-Based Business in BellefontaineContinue

  • 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

  • Becky McCray will be speaking at the IEDC conference in Dallas
    announcement | economic development | rural

    Revitalize Your Rural Community: Join Us for an Interactive Workshop at the 2023 IEDC Annual Conference

    ByBecky McCray August 14, 2023August 11, 2023

    Deb Brown and I will be speaking at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Annual Conference in Dallas on September 17, 2023. As co-founders of SaveYour.Town, Deb and I have dedicated ourselves to helping rural communities thrive. We understand the challenges and unique opportunities that rural community builders and entrepreneurs face, and we strive to…

    Read More Revitalize Your Rural Community: Join Us for an Interactive Workshop at the 2023 IEDC Annual ConferenceContinue

  • A diverse crowd watches a marching band in a small town parade
    economic development | marketing | rural

    What small town businesses can do during events to capitalize on the extra people

    BySmall Biz Survival June 9, 2023March 12, 2025

    Guest post by Jeremy Zeller Do your homework – WHO WILL BE ATTENDING the event? Cater to that audience. Families, College students, Car enthusiasts, Cosplay…yes, even them. If you do not want to keep your store open, set up a SIDEWALK STAND or TABLE and sell there. An assortment of products and swag to just…

    Read More What small town businesses can do during events to capitalize on the extra peopleContinue

  • Handmade afghan showing a dutch oven over a fire, with the words "7th Annual Dutch Oven Cook-Off and Fall Festival, Avard, Oklahoma"
    Best of | community | economic development | entrepreneurship | rural | tourism

    How a ghost town made something from nothing with a folk festival

    ByBecky McCray September 3, 2021March 25, 2023

    Craft entrepreneurship is a strategy for prosperity that works in every community, no matter how small, even if everything else is against you. Even if all you have is the dirt under your feet. This is the story of Avard, Oklahoma, a town that knows how to make something out of nothing. Often listed as…

    Read More How a ghost town made something from nothing with a folk festivalContinue

  • Join me for the Rural Renewal Symposium online Oct 13
    announcement | rural

    Join me for the Rural Renewal Symposium online Oct 13

    ByBecky McCray September 26, 2020

    Join me for the Rural Renewal Symposium hosted by Oklahoma State University. It’s an online event on October 13, 2020. What is the Symposium about? The Symposium is meant to raise awareness, attract resources and stimulate research toward solving grand challenges facing rural communities. And goodness knows we have some grand challenges. I’ll be facilitating…

    Read More Join me for the Rural Renewal Symposium online Oct 13Continue

  • A woman carries an up-cycled chair she bought at Junque Fest surrounded by a diverse crowd
    community | entrepreneurship | rural

    How to get the city to suspend the rules for you

    ByDeb Brown January 7, 2020January 6, 2020

      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…

    Read More How to get the city to suspend the rules for youContinue

  • Using events to promote service and industry businesses
    entrepreneurship | marketing | rural

    Using events to promote service and industry businesses

    ByDeb Brown September 11, 2019September 9, 2019

    Events that showcase your non-retail small business  You want people to learn about your business. Events sometimes help with that. You’re just not sure how to create an event for non-retail businesses that people will come to. Who goes to the insurance agency if they don’t need insurance? Who goes to the packing plant unless…

    Read More Using events to promote service and industry businessesContinue

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