Post extensively on social channels, and pin your hours post to the top of your page Your small business has times when you need to change your hours either for holidays, staff issues or (my favorite) extending into evening hours. How do you retrain your customers so they notice the change? Let’s look at a […]
Download the PDF report Executive Summary The Survey of Rural Challenges asks rural people to share their ground-level insight into the challenges they face and the assets they can use. This report analyzes over 2200 responses from communities across the US and Canada from 2015 to 2024. The responses show what’s changing and what isn’t […]
Remember the Retail Apocalypse around 2017? In a media interview this week, I brought up that it was actually Retail’s Big Split, not an apocalypse, and it’s ongoing. The reporter asked me to explain, so here’s my update for today’s retail landscape. “Everything gigantic in American life is about to get smaller or die.” […]
When Kathleen Minogue of Crowdfund Better mentioned Common Ground Coffee and Market to me, I found their Instagram feed was full of stealable ideas for small business social media marketing. We first talked about how they let customers know about changes to their hours. They’re in Boise, Idaho, which I realize is not a small […]
Guest post by Jason Duff, founder of Small Nation Ever wanted to pour your own candle? Now you can right here in Downtown Bellefontaine! Triple Moon Designs in Bellefontaine, Ohio, recently added a new and exciting candle bar, offering a unique experience not typically seen in small towns. My team has had the chance to try it out […]
Continuing the discussion on experience-based businesses, what happens after everyone in town tries it? Do these businesses go away? Sheila Scarborough posed the question this way: How do all these axe-throwing and escape room places think they’re going to stay in business past a few years? Main Street Expert Jackie Wolven weighed in: In a […]
In today’s fast-paced world, many individuals find themselves stuck in careers that fail to ignite their passions. For some, the journey to rediscovering creativity can lead to unexpected and fulfilling paths. This is the story of one such entrepreneur who transitioned from a corporate finance job to creating a vibrant experience-based business in downtown Bellefontaine. […]
Are you starting a business that could use retail space, but you can’t justify renting a storefront? Find a tiny space inside another business that can be your incubator. Who could display This can work for all kinds of physical-display businesses: Artists Crafts Authors Resellers Photographers Shelf stable foods and beverages Small manufacturers Agri-products like […]
“I want to start up a new business in town which will compete with an existing one. I believe there are enough customers for both of us. Should I talk to the business owner about my intentions before I start?” That’s the real-world concern from a reader. In small towns, we think about things like […]
