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New sidewalk sales idea: Sell through the fence

By Becky McCray

In a downtown, three people are standing on a sidewalk next to a yellow painted board fence. There are two small windows in the board fence that can open outward.

  In the small town of Duck Lake, Saskatchewan, Marilyn Pope Francis ran a restaurant with a fenced patio for tables and chairs. She set up hot serving dishes and a cold drinks station in the gazebo to serve customers. Here’s the part where we learn that Marilyn is a low-key business genius. Next to […]

September 2, 2024 Filed Under: customer service, entrepreneurship, marketing, rural Tagged With: food business, restaurant, service businesses

Rural marketing tip: the name is the claim

By Small Biz Survival

The front of a restaurant features a neon style sign that says "Hobo's House of Burgers and Booze."

Guest post and photo by Debbie Saviano   NO GUESSWORK Here! You know exactly what you’re getting! Great burgers and a relaxed boozy atmosphere. Small town businesses have a way of getting to the point. The name is the claim. About the author Debbie Saviano helps people learn how to use LinkedIn, online courses and social […]

May 22, 2024 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, marketing, rural Tagged With: marketing, restaurant, rural, signage

Crowdsourced ideas for coffee shops and other third places

By Becky McCray

Coffee shop with local art displayed on the walls

  At the Main Street Now conference, I sat in on a session about coffee shops. I wrote down bunches of ideas that the audience shared. I thought you might know a coffee shop person, or you might think of ways to use these with other types of small town businesses. Hold trivia nights or […]

May 20, 2019 Filed Under: customer service, entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, Small Biz 100 Tagged With: coffee shops, coffeesoutside, community, crowdsourced, customer service, experience economy, food business, gathering, restaurant, small business, small business success, success, third places

A Second Look at Competition – Rural Cafes

By Glenn Muske

small town restaurant

Late last year, I did a blog post looking at how clustering of competitors may have positive results (https://smallbizsurvival.com/2016/11/competition-and-clustering.html). Recently I was asked about this idea in terms of small rural town cafes. If any of you have lived in the Great Plains region of the country, you know the towns and the cafes I […]

May 17, 2017 Filed Under: Small Biz 100, success Tagged With: business plananing, effective management, planning, restaurant, small business, success

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