Tag: rural

community | economic development | entrepreneurship | marketing | rural | shop local | social media | tools
Let’s Talk Newspapers: Working Together Locally
ByDeb Brown April 17, 2026April 29, 2026
Hometown newspapers are small businesses, just like the hardware store, the cafe, or the auto repair shop. They’re not just “media.” They’re employers, sponsors, storytellers, and neighbors, and their work ripples through every corner of the community. This year, collaboration is a focus of ours at SaveYour.Town, and I want to talk about how newspapers…
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entrepreneurship | marketing | rural | shop local
The Treasure Hunt Economy: exciting retail experience for small towns
BySmall Biz Survival April 10, 2026April 4, 2026
Guest Post by Jason Duff, Small Nation I’ve been noticing something interesting happening across the small towns we work in, and I don’t think it’s temporary. In a time where inflation is still pinching wallets, customers aren’t just spending less, they’re shopping differently. They’re hunting. Not just for cheap, but for value, uniqueness, and the…
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entrepreneurship | management | rural | tools
Buy Inventory Online Using Wholesale Apps: Tips for Small Town Retail Stores
ByBecky McCray February 4, 2026February 5, 2026
I walked into a local retail shop in Alva, Oklahoma, population 4,000. It’s called Bates & Co., and they are best known for their handcrafted hairbows for infants and kids. But when I walked into their store, they had all kinds of things under one roof: women’s clothes, fashion jewelry, travel accessories and more. It…
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announcement | brag basket | rural | tech
Twenty Years of Small Biz Survival
ByBecky McCray January 14, 2026January 14, 2026
Twenty years ago today, I hit “publish” on the first post here at SmallBizSurvival.com. I was sitting in the backroom of my liquor store in Alva, Oklahoma, population at the time of just under 5,000 and dropping. That very first post asked: ‘Can you build a growing small business in a declining small town?’ I’ve…
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community | economic development | rural
How to be Idea Friendly – book review
ByRob Hatch November 21, 2025December 15, 2025
I grew up in a small town in Maine, but I don’t think of myself as a small-town guy. My parents were involved in local community service groups. My Dad was the Cub Scout leader, a member of the Jaycees and the Elks club. And I remember helping him and other volunteers build a…
Read More How to be Idea Friendly – book review
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….
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entrepreneurship | ideas | marketing | rural | survivors | trends
Will trendy axe throwing and escape room businesses last? More experience-based retail: the Hat Bar
ByBecky McCray March 31, 2025March 31, 2025
Continuing the discussion on experience-based businesses, what happens after everyone in town tries it? Do these businesses go away? Sheila Scarborough posed the question this way: How do all these axe-throwing and escape room places think they’re going to stay in business past a few years? Main Street Expert Jackie Wolven weighed in: In a…
Read More Will trendy axe throwing and escape room businesses last? More experience-based retail: the Hat Bar
community | customer service | entrepreneurship | marketing | rural | trends
Create customer experiences online like Open the Shop With Me videos, and in person, like Silent Book Club
ByBecky McCray March 23, 2025August 6, 2025
When Kathleen Minogue of Crowdfund Better mentioned Common Ground Coffee and Market to me, I found their Instagram feed was full of stealable ideas for small business social media marketing. We first talked about how they let customers know about changes to their hours. They’re in Boise, Idaho, which I realize is not a small…
Read More Create customer experiences online like Open the Shop With Me videos, and in person, like Silent Book Club

Small Biz Survival

The Treasure Hunt Economy: exciting retail experience for small towns

Buy Inventory Online Using Wholesale Apps: Tips for Small Town Retail Stores

Twenty Years of Small Biz Survival

How to be Idea Friendly – book review

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

Will trendy axe throwing and escape room businesses last? More experience-based retail: the Hat Bar

Create customer experiences online like Open the Shop With Me videos, and in person, like Silent Book Club

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