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Small Biz Survival
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Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource
  • A pile of ad specialties
    entrepreneurship | marketing

    Getting Your Business Found

    ByGlenn Muske April 3, 2013August 27, 2014

    If no one knows about your business, the odds are it won’t be successful. Getting visible today is harder than ever before. The traditional marketing tools are still used, plus now online tools just add to the clutter that prevents your business from being noticed. This is certainly true for new businesses, but even existing…

    Read More Getting Your Business FoundContinue

  • A stone fireplace with mounted hunting trophies flanks a rugged natural bar.
    rural | tourism

    Getting started with heritage tourism

    ByBecky McCray April 2, 2013August 27, 2014

    Small towns are a natural fit for heritage tourism. That’s tourism that shares our common heritage, whether it’s historical, cultural or natural. Heritage brings together your historical museum with your festivals, artists and musicians, your agritourism and parks and nature folks. At its best, heritage tourism is active and engaging. People getting hands-on and actively…

    Read More Getting started with heritage tourismContinue

  • Woman tries a wine sample.
    entrepreneurship | marketing | rural | Small Biz 100

    Educate your customers without being taken advantage of

    ByBecky McCray April 1, 2013August 27, 2014

    Small town businesses have certain advantages over big city businesses. One is that we have the luxury of educating customers, knowing that if they like what they learn, they are likely to make the resulting purchase from us. In a big city, running a tasting or a sampling or a class takes the risk that…

    Read More Educate your customers without being taken advantage ofContinue

  • Huge furry bunny in a basket
    brag basket

    Hop into the Brag Basket

    BySmall Biz Survival March 29, 2013December 15, 2014

    The Brag Basket is our tradition of sharing. The basket is always free and open all weekend, this one March 29-31, 2013. What good news will you add to the brag basket? Don’t hold back because of that word, “brag.” When you hold back, you hide your good news and accomplishments that might inspire others….

    Read More Hop into the Brag BasketContinue

  • entrepreneurship | marketing | rural

    Staying visible with the 3 Ms

    ByGlenn Muske March 27, 2013August 27, 2014

    Whether your business is just starting or it has been around for 100 years, the need to remain visible is constant. You need to give today’s consumer a reason to stop at your business. Some have forgotten you exist, others get busy and still others may not realize what changes you may have made, such…

    Read More Staying visible with the 3 MsContinue

  • Product package labeled, "Have you developed a needed automotive tool?"
    entrepreneurship | ideas | Small Biz 100

    The big secret to finding new product ideas

    ByBecky McCray March 25, 2013August 27, 2014

    Are you looking for new product ideas for your business? Have you asked your customers? First rule of product ideas: The people in field doing the work always come up with the best ideas.  Lisle Corporation (Clarinda, Iowa, population 5,500) makes, among other things, automotive specialty tools. You know, the funny hand tools mechanics use for all…

    Read More The big secret to finding new product ideasContinue

  • brag basket

    Another Brag Basket

    BySmall Biz Survival March 22, 2013December 15, 2014

    The Brag Basket is our tradition of sharing. The basket is always free and open all weekend, this one March 22-24, 2013. What good news will you add to the brag basket? Don’t hold back because of that word, “brag.” When you hold back, you hide your good news and accomplishments that might inspire others….

    Read More Another Brag BasketContinue

  • Becky McCray and Chris Brogan
    rural

    A conversation with Chris Brogan

    ByBecky McCray March 21, 2013August 27, 2014

    Chris Brogan was one of the first people I connected with in the blogging world back in 2006. We talked recently about farming and ranching, and how that is changing, about urban and micropolitan places, and about being on the front edge of a lot of change. I thought you might like to listen in:…

    Read More A conversation with Chris BroganContinue

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