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Small Biz Survival
  • group of volunteers sitting at a table
    community | rural

    Want your town to do well? Welcome new people as leaders

    March 1, 2026

    The Leadership Myth That’s Holding Us Back The Community Coach | Paula Jensen In small rural communities, leadership matters. But are we unintentionally shrinking our own leadership pool? We care deeply about who leads. We trust the people who show up, pitch in, and carry history with them. But over time, we’ve absorbed quiet assumptions…

    Read More Want your town to do well? Welcome new people as leadersContinue

  • Shoppers at a furniture store find temporary displays of jewelry and skin care products.
    economic development | entrepreneurship | ideas | rural

    Boost your rural retail business with this trick

    November 5, 2021October 30, 2021

    By Deb Brown The old way of doing business is one building, one business. What if you could test an idea and have a business inside a business? Anyone of us either knows or can find someone who is making things from their home and selling it. What if you encouraged already existing home-based businesses…

    Read More Boost your rural retail business with this trickContinue

  • Downtown is your town’s core: How to make your case
    Best of | community | economic development | rural | shop local

    Downtown is your town’s core: How to make your case

    February 22, 2021March 25, 2023

    Why does downtown matter? I’ve been asked why downtowns matter to small towns. Why should you invest your time and money into revitalizing your downtown? What makes it more important than any other area of town? What about that highway frontage? Or the edge of town where the discounters locate? In our Survey of Rural…

    Read More Downtown is your town’s core: How to make your caseContinue

  • community | rural | Small Biz 100

    Communities Need All Types of Businesses

    November 12, 2015November 9, 2015

    Small communities often are looking for ways to enhance and expand their local economies. A commonly used tool in this effort is encouraging the building and expansion of local businesses. Communities want jobs and dollars, and they usually want them relatively quickly. Often development plans look towards high-fliers and/or large firms. Yet, the local business…

    Read More Communities Need All Types of BusinessesContinue

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