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Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource
  • A person is working on a laptop from a rooftop deck
    marketing | rural | trends

    How small town businesses can market to remote workers and turn them into new customers

    ByBecky McCray May 15, 2023

    With the rise of remote work, more people move to small towns even temporarily to work remotely. Small town businesses have the opportunity to tap remote workers as new customers. Why remote workers are hard to market to New residents who work remotely can be hard to find: they aren’t all working at the same…

    Read More How small town businesses can market to remote workers and turn them into new customersContinue

  • Hands on a laptop, working
    entrepreneurship | marketing | mistakes | rural

    Check your small business website for outdated pandemic changes, missing info

    ByBecky McCray January 31, 2023

    My friend Rob just told me he was checking out a local fitness place. He was interested until he saw their website included some pandemic-related changes that probably aren’t still true, like canceled classes and limited hours. Since he doesn’t know for sure, he moved on to looking into a different place. This is a…

    Read More Check your small business website for outdated pandemic changes, missing infoContinue

  • Screenshot of Google's Marketing Kit for local businesses. Text says, "Free stickers, posters, social posts, and more from your Business Profile on Google". Graphic shows a sticker that says, "review us on Google"
    entrepreneurship | marketing | rural | tourism

    Local reviews on Google Maps drive enduring value

    ByBecky McCray December 17, 2022December 26, 2022

    While they were pointing out HipCamp to us, our friends at Marketing Delmarva also brought up the enduring power of Google Local reviews and photos. (I added the bold for emphasis.) If you love a local place, put it on Google. Following our first pick-your-own experience at said blueberry world, while sitting in the car in…

    Read More Local reviews on Google Maps drive enduring valueContinue

  • Two Small Town Guys
    entrepreneurship | marketing | rural | shop local | trends

    Remember when we used to try to hide our accents?

    ByChris Brogan May 7, 2020April 30, 2020

      By Chris Brogan I’m originally from Maine. Accents up there come through the nose. Most famously, people from Maine are supposed to say “Ayuh” when we mean “yes.” Midway through high school, I moved to Massachusetts, where you lose the nasal thing, but you also lose all “r’s” from conversation. “It’s hahd to sound…

    Read More Remember when we used to try to hide our accents?Continue

  • Logo with "Shop Indie Local"
    entrepreneurship | marketing | rural | shop local

    Shop Indie Local adds a new twist to tired Buy Local campaigns

    ByBecky McCray November 11, 2019

      Shop Indie Local summary: Shop Indie Local campaign website This campaign’s advantage:  Usable year round, adaptable to local events and needs, not just a single day “Indie” message is resonating well right now, better than plain “local” campaigns Share the right message: People already think they want to shop local, just need a timely…

    Read More Shop Indie Local adds a new twist to tired Buy Local campaignsContinue

  • 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

  • How to publicize your biking trails before they’re finished
    economic development | marketing | rural | tourism

    How to publicize your biking trails before they’re finished

    ByBecky McCray June 10, 2019June 9, 2019

      Have you got a “coming soon” biking trail? Or a biking trail that is not completely finished yet? Well, don’t keep it a secret! A couple of places I’ve visited lately, I’ve heard about trails that are in the partially-finished stage. Some segments of the trail have been improved, others are still rough. “Once…

    Read More How to publicize your biking trails before they’re finishedContinue

  • Post signs with your tourism hashtag where visitors will see them
    marketing | rural | social media | tourism

    Post signs with your tourism hashtag where visitors will see them

    ByBecky McCray May 13, 2019May 2, 2019

    This one is a simple idea that came up when I was visiting Cathlamet, Washington, population 553: Post your local hashtag where visitors will see it. The Cathlamet Chamber of Commerce does an awesome local photo contest. Most of the photo submissions come from locals. They use these on their annual events calendar and other…

    Read More Post signs with your tourism hashtag where visitors will see themContinue

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