Skip to content
  • Survey of Rural Challenges
  • Small Town Speaker Becky McCray
  • SaveYour.Town
Small Biz Survival

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

Small town main street
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS
Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource
  • Positive View of Rural podcast icon
    economic development | entrepreneurship | podcast | rural

    AUDIO: Joel Bennett brings co-working to his rural town

    ByBecky McCray December 18, 2013May 26, 2022

    Joel Bennett Joel Bennett Interview Joel Bennett of Pella, Iowa, helped pioneer a co-working space in his town, called Veel Hoeden (“Many Hats”). It has grown from just 4 offices to 9 offices plus space for more people who just drop in with a laptop. It has supported existing entrepreneurs, and it’s helped create new entrepreneurial ventures….

    Read More AUDIO: Joel Bennett brings co-working to his rural townContinue

  • Audio and slides: How to manage multiple businesses without going crazy
    entrepreneurship | organization | rural

    Audio and slides: How to manage multiple businesses without going crazy

    ByBecky McCray September 5, 2013September 28, 2016

    Like many small town business people, I have more than one business: liquor store, cattle ranch, speaking and writing about small town business, and Tourism Currents. So how do I do it all? It’s one of the most common questions that I get asked. That’s why Cory Miller of Entrepreneurship Lab and I put together this…

    Read More Audio and slides: How to manage multiple businesses without going crazyContinue

  • Jack rabbit sitting in an open dirt field.
    ideas | rural

    Small town business idea: task services

    ByBecky McCray July 8, 2013September 27, 2016

    I’m always collecting small town business ideas. On Twitter, I saw Scott Balster @scottbalster of Loveland, CO, suggest a small version of two popular labor-exchange services: TaskRabbit and Elance. TaskRabbit is a task and errand service connection. People list tasks they need done, everything from housecleaning to delivering groceries. Other people sign up to take…

    Read More Small town business idea: task servicesContinue

  • entrepreneurship | marketing

    Sell more by giving samples of your services

    ByBecky McCray May 20, 2013September 27, 2016

    Remember the yoga instructor who is going to do a video for her business? She told me that once people come to one class, they usually come back. So how can she get more people to make it to the first class? By cutting down the hurdles that stand between them and the first class….

    Read More Sell more by giving samples of your servicesContinue

  • Where’s your video?
    entrepreneurship | marketing

    Where’s your video?

    ByBecky McCray May 13, 2013September 27, 2016

    Small town businesses sometimes struggle for the right words to describe themselves. At a conference lunch table, the yoga instructor was trying to explain to the middle-aged guy from the economic development group what a yoga class is like. At first it made sense, but when she got to the part about breathing into the…

    Read More Where’s your video?Continue

  • entrepreneurship | marketing | rural

    Why You Should Stop Giving It Away

    ByBecky McCray March 7, 2013November 2, 2015

    [Stephanie Ward is a fellow Oklahoman, who happens to now reside in The Netherlands. She’s been a good friend and coach, and I’m proud to offer this guest post from her. – Becky] Recently at a networking event I was talking with two friends and the subject of doing work for free versus paid came…

    Read More Why You Should Stop Giving It AwayContinue

  • entrepreneurship | marketing | rural

    Find a niche, fill the niche and kill the niche

    ByBecky McCray March 4, 2013September 27, 2016

    The sharpest marketing advice I’ve heard came not from some marketing guru but from a small town photographer, one who built a global business from a home base in a small town. Mike Klemme found a niche, filled it,and killed it. And that is how hebuilt a global business. Mike Klemme is a professional photographer…

    Read More Find a niche, fill the niche and kill the nicheContinue

  • entrepreneurship | ideas

    A Business Model That Will Blow Your Mind and 10 Ways You Can Improve Yours

    ByBecky McCray February 20, 2013November 2, 2015

    [Stephanie Ward is a fellow Oklahoman, who happens to now reside in The Netherlands. She’s been a good friend and coach, and I’m proud to offer this guest post from her. – Becky] By Stephanie Ward What if there was a business that could save children’s lives, protect women from rape, improve the environment, and even…

    Read More A Business Model That Will Blow Your Mind and 10 Ways You Can Improve YoursContinue

Page navigation

Previous PagePrevious 1 … 5 6 7 8 9 … 15 Next PageNext

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

The Best of Small Biz Survival

TREND 2025: Retail’s Big Split: what small town retailers can do now

99% of the best things you can do for your town don’t require anyone’s permission

Get started as an outdoor outfitter without breaking the bank

How to get customers in the door of small town and rural retail stores

Read more of the Best of Small Biz Survival

Partners

We partner with campaigns and organizations that we think best benefit rural small businesses.

Logo with "Shop Indie Local"
Graphic of US currency with the text Move Your Money, bank local, invest local
Multicolor logo with text that says "Global Entrepreneurship Week"
Save Your Town logotype

Copyright © 2006–2026 Becky McCray • Site by Webdancers

  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS
  • Survey of Rural Challenges
  • Small Town Speaker Becky McCray
  • SaveYour.Town