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Small Biz Survival
  • The front of a restaurant features a neon style sign that says "Hobo's House of Burgers and Booze."
    entrepreneurship | marketing | rural

    Rural marketing tip: the name is the claim

    May 22, 2024

    Guest post and photo by Debbie Saviano   NO GUESSWORK Here! You know exactly what you’re getting! Great burgers and a relaxed boozy atmosphere. Small town businesses have a way of getting to the point. The name is the claim. About the author Debbie Saviano helps people learn how to use LinkedIn, online courses and social…

    Read More Rural marketing tip: the name is the claimContinue

  • Three quilts on display in early 2020 at Mississippi Cultural Crossroads Port Gibson Mississippi. Photo by Sheila Scarborough.
    entrepreneurship | failure | rural | Small Biz 100

    Test your business idea with small steps: starting a quilt retreat

    May 7, 2024

    Uniontown, Washington, (population 300) has a strong base of arts, artisan and craft entrepreneurship. When I toured Uniontown, a woman spoke up who wants to start a quilt retreat, a place for people to come and quilt together. More than a local quilting bee, she’s imagining a full retreat space. She owns a historic home…

    Read More Test your business idea with small steps: starting a quilt retreatContinue

  • In front of a downtown building, a small rectangle of turf grass provides a pet relief area. A bag dispenser is mounted on a pole nearby.
    entrepreneurship | marketing | rural | trends

    Pet friendly business opportunities

    April 29, 2024April 22, 2024

    Any business can offer pet friendly amenities In 2023, SaveYour.Town identified pet friendly communities as a Top Topic. Here’s an example of a business offering a pet friendly amenity. In Palouse, Washington, a local veterinarian has an office in the downtown. Out front, they’ve installed a small patch of artificial turf as a pet relief…

    Read More Pet friendly business opportunitiesContinue

  • Two people are pointing to features on a brick building in a small town downtown
    economic development | entrepreneurship | marketing | mistakes | rural

    Seasonal businesses: post signs year-round

    April 22, 2024

    Marketing tip: keep signs up year-round even if you’re a seasonal business. When I toured several small towns in Washington and Idaho with the Inland Northwest Partners, I noticed many part-time and seasonal businesses did not have signs up during their off season. In the town of Deary, Idaho, (population 500) there is a wine…

    Read More Seasonal businesses: post signs year-roundContinue

  • A two-story brick downtown building has been recently rehabbed with new windows and updated paint. A small "for sale" sign is in the window.
    rural

    These small town neighbors bought vacant buildings, brought them up to code. Here’s what happened next

    April 18, 2024April 18, 2024

      Waynoka, Oklahoma, had a lot of vacant run-down buildings in their downtown. In a town of 900 people, the prospects didn’t look great. At an all-class reunion, a group of alumni got together and decided to change that. They called themselves Project Waynoka, our friend and early contributor Jeanne Cole said. They started raising money….

    Read More These small town neighbors bought vacant buildings, brought them up to code. Here’s what happened nextContinue

  • rural

    Beyond the Big Banks: How rural small businesses can Move Their Money locally

    April 8, 2024

    The “Move Your Money” campaign wants you to shift your financial resources to local banks and investment opportunities. That makes a lot of sense for small town businesses who care about having a thriving local economy. The 2024 Move Your Money Campaign The American Independent Business Alliance (AMIBA) has been at the forefront of the…

    Read More Beyond the Big Banks: How rural small businesses can Move Their Money locallyContinue

  • Survey of Rural Challenges
    announcement | rural | Survey of Rural Challenges

    2024 Survey of Rural Challenges Is Open!

    March 14, 2024

    These 10 questions will provide information to many organizations and people on what is challenging for rural communities. Are you rural? This survey is for you. SmallBizSurvival.com and SaveYour.Town are conducting the 10th-anniversary edition of the Survey of Rural Challenges! Take the Survey of Rural Challenges. Spread the word Could you help us spread the word on…

    Read More 2024 Survey of Rural Challenges Is Open!Continue

  • A group of young women in matching t-shirts visit the floor of a manufacturing plant
    economic development | rural | workforce | youth

    Improving the rural workforce: small town stories and takeaways

    January 19, 2024

    Takeaways for improving rural workforce: Bring together students, employers and multiple levels of education Build and document employee skills with micro-credentials Use apprenticeships to build skills, increase awareness of local job options Stitch together multiple programs to build your own workforce To add a new program in the public schools, hire dedicated program staff (at…

    Read More Improving the rural workforce: small town stories and takeawaysContinue

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More of the best of Small Biz Survival

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

Posted on December 11, 2024

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

Posted on January 2, 2024

Get started as an outdoor outfitter without breaking the bank

Posted on August 28, 2023

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

Posted on February 19, 2023

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