A common assumption among people wanting to start a business is that coming up with the idea is the hardest part. When you talk with people already in business, though, they often comment that the business idea was the easiest step to take. Small-business owners mention that they didn’t realize how hard it would…
InnovationLab helps rural businesses in Sonora, CA Guest post by Greg Falken Tuolumne General Hospital opened its doors in 1849, serving miners in the gold fields of California. By some accounts, the town of Sonora – now the county seat – was founded to address the miners’ urgent need for health care. TGH had six…
A news story from Garland, Texas, got me thinking about what you can do with a roofless building. We came up with a lot of ideas for empty buildings, so I knew we could do something with roofless buildings, too. You probably have one in your downtown. Maybe a building burned, or maybe the roof…
The Brag Basket is open! This one is for January 16-31, 2015. Bring your good news to share with everyone. What can you do in the Brag Basket? introduce yourself share some great news from this week congratulate a friend applaud for each other confess your undying love for rural places How do you join…
Buying a business can be a great way to get started. You already know if the business can make it, plus you already have an existing market base who know you exist. Before going too far into examining the business, you, as the prospective owner, need to consider what is prompting this decision to buy….
I hate surprises in my liquor store business. “Oh, no! We’re almost out of sacks!” “We need to come up with money to cover the insurance payment!” “Why didn’t you remember to order the Oktoberfest last month?!” No one likes surprises like that, so I started using a perpetual calendar. Hanging above the current…
Going into business is a huge commitment. It is a commitment of money, time and mental stamina. Yet for all of the commitment that a business owner might put into it, he or she has no guarantee that any small business will succeed. Achieving success is the goal, but finding it is the challenge. Besides…
Cities and towns, urban and rural, face a lot of the same challenges. We share the same basic issues in trying to build prosperity: support businesses, maintain infrastructure, provide basic services, improve the quality of life, build a sense of place, support the arts, promote health, and all the other to-do items you can…
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