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Hands-on and experience-based businesses boost local economies

By Small Biz Survival

In a colorful room, a woman is offering instructions to two men seated at a craft table, preparing to pour their own candles.

Guest post by Jason Duff, founder of Small Nation Ever wanted to pour your own candle? Now you can right here in Downtown Bellefontaine! Triple Moon Designs in Bellefontaine, Ohio, recently added a new and exciting candle bar, offering a unique experience not typically seen in small towns. My team has had the chance to try it out […]

March 17, 2025 Filed Under: economic development, entrepreneurship, ideas, rural, trends Tagged With: economic development, entrepreneurship, experience, experience economy, guest post, rural, shop indie local, shop small, small business, small towns

How to let customers know when changing your business hours

By Becky McCray

Screenshot of an instagram post with Christmas week business hours. One comment asks, "How late are you open new year's eve?"

Post extensively on social channels, and pin your hours post to the top of your page Your small business has times when you need to change your hours either for holidays, staff issues or (my favorite) extending into evening hours. How do you retrain your customers so they notice the change? Let’s look at a […]

March 12, 2025 Filed Under: customer service, entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, Small Biz 100, social media Tagged With: effective marketing, entrepreneurship, marketing, retail, rural, service businesses, small business

Boost your co-working space with social hours

By Becky McCray

A plain brick building in a small downtown has a window decal that says “Caldwell Workspace: create, connect, work your way” Next door is an ornate brick building from the late 1800s.

When I visited Caldwell, Kansas, the manager of the co-working site said they had filled their private offices, but struggled to attract day users. People who work from home like working from home. They don’t want a full time office, so they said they don’t want to use the coworking space. How can the coworking […]

December 5, 2024 Filed Under: community, economic development, entrepreneurship, rural Tagged With: coworking, remote work, rural, small business, small town, zoom towns

Make a “What to do in…” Pinterest Board

By Becky McCray

A Pinterest board showing local businesses and attractions in Crows Nest Pass, Alberta, Canada.

— How many times have you heard it? Someone lamenting, “There’s nothing to do here!” Worse yet, hearing someone tell visitors that. “What is there to do around here?” “Nothing, really. I don’t know.” Enough with that. Let’s give people an easy way to answer, and let’s do it the Idea Friendly way. Make a […]

September 11, 2024 Filed Under: community, economic development, marketing, rural, tools, tourism Tagged With: community development, effective marketing, experience economy, pinterest, rural

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