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Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource
  • A group of people seated at outdoor tables in front of a tapas restaurant in Portugal. They turn and smile for the camera.
    entrepreneurship | global | rural

    GEW: Rural Entrepreneurship in small villages in Portugal – panel video

    ByDeb Brown November 19, 2023

    Part of our Global Entrepreneurship Week celebration Nov 13-19, 2023. Speaking about small businesses, entrepreneurship and sharing rural stories Story and photos by Deb Brown I was invited to speak in Portugal by my friend and business associate Frederico Lucas. My first night in Lisbon I spoke at this event hosted at the coworking space NOW…

    Read More GEW: Rural Entrepreneurship in small villages in Portugal – panel videoContinue

  • A group of skiers in colorful outfits on snowy slopes. Banners in Japanese script are in the foreground.
    entrepreneurship | global | management | POV | rural | tourism | workforce

    Surviving the Peaks and Valleys of Seasonal Small Business in a Rural Ski Town

    BySmall Biz Survival November 17, 2023November 19, 2023

    Part of our Global Entrepreneurship Week celebration Nov 13-19, 2023. Guest post by Mike Humphrey, Japan Skiing has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I don’t know why my parents decided skiing would be our family sport. They were not avid skiers, and we didn’t live in a ski…

    Read More Surviving the Peaks and Valleys of Seasonal Small Business in a Rural Ski TownContinue

  • A group of smiling people around a dinner table
    community | rural | survivors

    Jackson County and Grayson KY Stories and Volunteers

    ByDeb Brown August 8, 2023July 6, 2023

    Guest post by Deb Brown Change can be activated in a society by way of story.” from the book Spirit Run I just returned from Jackson County, Kentucky and the small town of Grayson, Kentucky. There’s a natural beauty in those mountains and winding roads. The people were kind, helpful and want to see their…

    Read More Jackson County and Grayson KY Stories and VolunteersContinue

  • Multicolor logo with text that says "Global Entrepreneurship Week"
    announcement | entrepreneurship | global | rural

    Global Entrepreneurship Week – Share your story of starting small

    BySmall Biz Survival July 6, 2023July 6, 2023

    This fall, we will be participating in Global Entrepreneurship Week. Here’s your preview of what to expect from Nov 13-19, 2023.   The challenge of rural entrepreneurship Rural entrepreneurs and small town businesses face extra challenges including online competition, limited workforce and even finding a usable building. Today, creative entrepreneurs are using new innovative business…

    Read More Global Entrepreneurship Week – Share your story of starting smallContinue

  • A faded sign says, "Wash-o-mat coin-op laundry". Painted figures of a family are carrying their basket, soap and bleach and are followed by a frisky dog.
    economic development | entrepreneurship | rural

    How to start a laundromat in a small town on a budget

    ByBecky McCray June 23, 2023June 22, 2023

    Starting a laundromat involves a lot of up front expenses, unless you do it the Idea Friendly Way   Lots of small towns have no self-service laundry facilities, so it’s a smart business to start. It also adds a valuable service and amenity to build your community. Laundromats are notoriously expensive to get started, and…

    Read More How to start a laundromat in a small town on a budgetContinue

  • 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

  • Kids playing on a chalked map of their community
    community | economic development | rural | trends

    Rural and small town ideas from the OU Placemaking Conference IQC 2023

    ByBecky McCray April 5, 2023

    Recently I attended the OU (University of Oklahoma) Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) Placemaking Conference This was the 10th annual event. There were 600 people attending from 40 counties in Oklahoma and 6 surrounding states. I attended the 2017 event along with my colleague Deb Brown. The focus was inevitably on big cities, but I…

    Read More Rural and small town ideas from the OU Placemaking Conference IQC 2023Continue

  • A building used as business storage with an old faded sign that says "Carrier Air Conditioning"
    economic development | mistakes | rural

    Using a building as a warehouse or storage in a small town? Put up a sign

    ByBecky McCray March 13, 2023

    Repurposing empty buildings as business storage or a warehouse is a common small business practice in small towns. Putting up a sign is a good idea for at least two reasons.  Retail businesses may be storing extra merchandise. Manufacturers might have extra materials or finished product ready to ship. Service and repair companies have to…

    Read More Using a building as a warehouse or storage in a small town? Put up a signContinue

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