When I read the introduction to 9 Clouds’ new book, I immediately asked Scott Meyer for permission to reprint it here. Scott obliged, did a bit of customization, and threw in the infographic (because everything needs an infographic). Yes, I am mentioned in the book, but trust me, this is an excellent guide for small…
This article was contributed by Ball State University. When the aisles are packed and checkout lines are long, customers will shop at trusted retailers that place a premium on knowing their needs, says Ramon Avila, a marketing professor and the founding director of the H.H. Gregg Center for Professional Selling at Ball State University. He…
Guest post by Lyn Falk Retailworks, Inc. Your storefront says a lot about you and your business, actually. It’s your customer’s first impression of your brand. When competing with the big box retailers that are inevitably on the outskirts of your town, you need to turn on the charm––something the national chains can’t compete with! Think of someone…
Barry Moltz is my co-author on the book Small Town Rules. He was a great friend to work with and helped me immensely in understanding the book publishing process. Barry knows a lot about small towns. Even though he lives in Chicago, he’s got a strong small town connection. –Becky By Barry Moltz I grew…
In our weekly newsletter, we have talked quite a bit about what to do with empty buildings in your small town. Ron Hirst replied and offered such good information about incubators that I needed to share them with you, too. –Becky Guest Post by Ron Hirst, Director Quest Center for Entrepreneurs, Inc. Hutchinson, Kansas Becky, I…
Guest post by Cathy Lloyd, The Village In the summer of 2007, I had an idea to help the state of retail on the square in downtown Washington, Iowa. Since Wal-Mart came to town in the ‘70s, there had been a steady decline in the number of retail businesses in the downtown area. I hoped…
Sheila Scarborough has been my friend for over 4 years, which is a long time online. She’s one of the most confident and capable people anywhere. She’s made an impressive transition from an officer in the Navy to freelance writer to entrepreneur and business owner. I’ve learned a lot from her about the world of…
How’s your website doing? Did you answer that thorny question that Becky and I talked about at the end of last year? (No, seriously, that question is really important – it is the first question you should always answer before building or changing your website. Go on, re-read it if you have to, we’ll wait patiently here.) Today…
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