Small businesses form the cornerstone of local economies. In larger cities they are important, but in rural areas, they are crucial, not only economically but for the variety of products and services they provide. To begin with, the economic impact of the small business is sizable. Research shows that for every $100 spent, $68 dollars…
The Brag Basket is open! This one is for January 8-11, 2016. Bring your good news, big or small, to share with everyone. What good news will you share? 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…
As you probably know, if you are going into business, the odds your business will be around in five years are not good. But they aren’t as bad as you may think, either. Approximately one-third of businesses close within two years. At the five-year mark, about one-half of all businesses have closed. We don’t approach…
Businesses in small towns don’t work together very well. That was one of the top findings in our Survey of Rural Challenges. Survey answers included a lot of examples of this inability to cooperate: “Many of our merchants won’t participate in group promos.” “Businesses don’t cooperate with each other!” “The ‘competiveness’ of small town…
The Brag Basket is open! This one is for January 1-3, 2016. Bring your good news, big or small, to share with everyone. What good news will you share to kick off the new year? What can you do in the Brag Basket? introduce yourself share some great news from this week congratulate a…
Well, here we are at the end of one year and the beginning of another. Welcome, 2016! For many people, this is the day we make resolutions for the upcoming year. Often these hopes are for something in our personal life. Do you also take time to make resolutions for managing your business? And for…
We’re all using the same marketing theme this year: Shift Your Shopping. When we work together to spread the word, we’ll multiply how many customers we reach. I know that Christmas is officially over, but you know some families are still celebrating because they couldn’t get together on the big holiday. And New Year’s Eve…
The Brag Basket is open! This one is for December 25-27, 2015. Bring your good news, big or small, 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…
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