Local
Small Business Saturday Strategy
Last year, our friend Maggie was excited to add greenery to the planters in front of a couple of blocks of retail and commercial buildings before Small Business Saturday. She put the word out asking if anyone had any fresh greens or evergreens that could be cut up. She also kindly notified the city that…
Read MoreCollaboration and Toilet Paper
Collaboration does not mean: Forming another committee. One person doing all the work while everyone else watches. Everybody agreeing on everything. Anyone giving up ownership of their own good ideas. Collaboration means people, organizations, and businesses working together around a big idea. Let me share a story with you about how toilet paper became…
Read MoreStop Fighting Dollar Stores. Start Building Local Solutions.
I see dollar stores in towns that still have grocery stores. I see even more in towns where the grocery store has already closed. That is not a coincidence. Dollar stores are not good for your community We can argue all day about whether dollar stores are “good” or “bad,” but we should at least…
Read MoreWhat to do with a Community Action Committee
I love getting emails from small town folks who have seen or heard us speak, especially when they form committee action committees as a result! Rebecca wanted some next step help, and I was happy to share! Here’s her email: I was so inspired by your story and how you were able to change your…
Read MoreBut what about the cost?
The big idea at Franklin Street Relics in Natchez, MS, was to get more customers. The owner has 84 vendors, and they all discussed it among themselves. And they got stuck on how much it would cost. They’d have to do more advertising! And expand their ad region, which means more money. No one knew how to…
Read MoreWhat has rural expert Deb Brown been doing for the last ten years?
I got asked the other day what I have been doing for the last ten years. I took some time and wrote it all down. It surprised even me! Take a look, and if you’d like to have a free call with me, just book 30 minutes here. Here’s a comprehensive list (I may have…
Read MoreKittanning, PA Changed Their City One House at a Time
Andrew Laddaslaw, a local pastor in Kittanning, PA, had this idea for a project to do during their Summer of Giving programming. 5 years ago, Kittanning, PA had a blight problem. Many houses in neighborhoods needed sprucing up, repairing, and a few needed tearing down. What they did He and his crowd got together and…
Read MoreWhat is a local neighborhood revolution and why do you want one?
The Local Revolution: How You Can Save Your Small Town Natchez is kicking off a Neighborhood Revolution, and you’re invited to be part of it—and to imagine bringing this same energy back home to your town On Saturday, February 21, I’ll be in Natchez, Mississippi, for a full day of hands-on, street-level community building hosted…
Read More#MuchInHutch Imagine your main street is also a state highway
Imagine that your Main Street is on a state highway. And major work needs to be done. This happened in Hutchinson in 2020. Repairs were going to happen and included the replacement of all city services below ground, and the Chamber had 3 years to get the town and businesses ready for it. The project…
Read MoreI love a good tour – Indie Bookshops, Paper Trail, empty buildings and more
Stacy Moore, Tourism Director, in Shawnee, Oklahoma, told me about three of her Iowa friends and the tour they took. They participated in the Iowa Indie Bookshop Tour! Three Iowa Friends out on a magnificent road trip! Becky, Kayla, and Tammie visited all 45 shops. Becky said, “(We) completed the 45 stops on the Iowa Indie Bookshop Tour!!…
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