Everyone faces challenges when thinking about going into business. Being based in a rural area adds some special challenges. You may not have immediate access to anyone who can sit down with you in person. You can’t just drop in on a small business support center, because there probably isn’t one for 50 miles…
The Brag Basket is open! This one is for July 17-19, 2015. Bring your good news to share with everyone. Just tell the story! 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…
Running your own business from home can achieve two dreams at the same time: You are in charge, and you get to do it without leaving your living quarters. Many small-business owners have found a niche for their product or service. That niche allows them to work from home, thus minimizing overhead, ending long commutes,…
Daily Yonder reported recently that the number of rural businesses declined. The article is very good with detailed analysis. But I was struck by what it didn’t talk about: non-employer businesses. You know, self-employed people. Self-employment is a critical part of the rural business picture, moreso than in urban areas. Stephan J. Goetz predicted that 25%…
The Brag Basket is open! This one is for July 10-12, 2015. Bring your good news of all sizes 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…
A common concern among small-business owners is how to increase revenue. Often, they try to do this by finding new customers. That is an expensive way of doing it. On average, it will cost from $20 to $50 to get a new customer. Yet it only costs from $1 to $5 to expand sales to…
Take this simple quiz. When I think of last year’s tax return time, I’d say it was: A breeze. I just printed out one or two reports and answered a few questions from my tax preparer. A bit of a mess. I had to do some work to catch up and then answer a…
The Brag Basket is open! This one is for July 3-5, 2015. Bring your good news to share with everyone, and let’s blow this thing up! 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…
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