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

By Jamie Beasley

A young girl carefully pours her own candle.

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. […]

April 7, 2025 Filed Under: economic development, entrepreneurship, rural, success, trends Tagged With: building a business, entrepreneurship, events, experience economy, retail, rural, shop indie local, shop local, shop small, small business success, take small steps

Pop Up in An Empty Lot

By Deb Brown

empty lot pop up

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 […]

November 15, 2023 Filed Under: economic development, entrepreneurship, rural, success Tagged With: Deb Brown, economic development, entrepreneurship, events, Global Entrepreneurship Week, guest post, Innovative Rural Business Models

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

By Becky McCray

Becky McCray will be speaking at the IEDC conference in Dallas

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 […]

August 14, 2023 Filed Under: announcement, economic development, rural Tagged With: conferences, events, Idea Friendly Method, rural speakers

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

By Small Biz Survival

A diverse crowd watches a marching band in a small town parade

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 […]

June 9, 2023 Filed Under: economic development, marketing, rural Tagged With: downtown, events, experience economy, guest post, Jeremy Zeller, marketing, promotion, retail, sponsorships

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