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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 fill empty buildings: real world examples Deb Brown shared with Gowrie, Iowa

By Deb Brown

I attended the Chamber Dinner in Gowrie, Iowa and talked about small town ideas they could use. It was my pleasure to spend a couple of days there. This article talks about small town ideas for the community and by the community. Got empty buildings? Every small town has empty buildings and empty lots. Gowrie […]

July 25, 2023 Filed Under: community, economic development, rural Tagged With: beautification, Deb Brown, empty buildings, placemaking, small towns

Eye-popping Main Street employment stat

By Becky McCray

A sign says "Discover Downtown Westbrook, a Main Street America community." Diverse people are walking on sidewalks in a New England historic downtown business district.

Main Street districts employ almost as many people as Amazon Hannah White, Interim President and CEO of Main Street America, dropped this little statistic at the Main Street Now National Conference in Boston in 2023. Designated Main Street Districts in the US include over 1.1 million jobs, almost as many people as Amazon. Amazon’s approximately […]

July 13, 2023 Filed Under: economic development, rural, workforce Tagged With: employment, Main Street America, rural data, small towns, statistics, workforce

Rural tourism trends say small towns are still cool

By Becky McCray

Slide text: Times are changing. Putting new destinations on the map: rural towns, countryside, and back to cities. A domestic rediscovery. Blended travel creates longer stays and workcations. Brighter light on wellness.

But you already knew that Tourism Currents, experts on social media for tourism, wrote about 5 travel trends to blog about right now, and there’s a lot for rural communities to latch onto there. 1) Wellness Travel Sheila says, “where people can go to relax, detox, relieve stress, get a massage and spa treatments, eat […]

March 27, 2023 Filed Under: economic development, entrepreneurship, rural, tourism, trends Tagged With: rural culture, small towns, tourism, Tourism Currents, travel

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