small town advice
Attracting Remote Workers
You have what they want As young families come home to small towns, they are often remote workers. Mainstreet.Org says at the end of the day, the strength of this trend will be determined by how communities position themselves to leverage this growing interest in rural and small towns. What can you do to position…
Read MoreDriving Positive Change in Rural – we can help
SaveYour.Town has been instrumental in driving positive change in rural communities. You’re interested in the work Becky McCray and I do, you read our newsletters, you’ve seen us in your towns and on stage, you watch our videos and webinars. As you plan for 2024, I’d like to share a bit more about the various…
Read MoreTwo Ways to Make Your Town More Attractive: Celebrating the Good and Welcoming Newcomers
Talk about the good things First things first, take a moment to appreciate what already makes your town special. Is it the picturesque scenery, the tight-knit community, or the awesome local businesses? Make a list of all the things you love about your town and share it with your friends. Get them involved too! Post…
Read More3 Ways to Make Small Towns Successful: Get the practical steps to Beautification, Good Leaders and Keeping Your Youth
We know that people who are open to new ideas and willing to let newcomers be involved in the decision making help create communities that will thrive. Iowa State University’s 30 year Sigma study conducted over 99 towns told us that. There are a few other things that can make your small town more successful.…
Read MoreChristmas tree lights don’t always have to be matchy matchy in your downtown
I received lots of ideas on how to make my town a better place when I was a chamber director. One was to put up holiday lights in the trees downtown. Putting lights in trees would encourage people to spend time downtown and would be a visible sign of improvement and pride in our community.…
Read MoreSmall town ideas for Gowrie, Iowa
I attended the Chamber Dinner in Gowrie, Iowa and talked about small town ideas they could use. It was my pleasure to spend a couple of days there. This article talks about small town ideas for the community and by the community. Got empty buildings? Every small town has empty buildings and empty lots. Gowrie…
Read MoreWhat Happened One Day in LA
The Western Association of Chamber Executives came together in LA and for the first time ever, they spent an entire day with the opportunity for small chambers to learn things that related specifically to them. Small Chambers: A League of Their Own. I started the breakout session as a speaker and shared ways to update…
Read MoreYou’re the Expert
I flew back to Iowa on Saturday. Seated next to me was a gentleman from Korea and he asked me what I did for a living. I told him I was an Executive Director for a local Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Jeong asked me what was a Chamber of Commerce. I explained I had the pleasure of…
Read MoreEight Thinks to Do on Small Business Saturday
Buy new furniture. Locally. Go visit your local furniture store and be surprised. The value, the customer service and the attention to detail will simply blow you away. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what is now available in the better lines of furniture and how affordable the pieces are. Don’t big box it…
Read MoreNine Marketing Trends
According to CMO.com (an Adobe site) there are 9 marketing trends for small businesses to pay attention to. They are: Binge TV watching – not only can you watch on tv, but the streaming services are providing new value. Netflix, HBO Now, Showtime, Amazon – you can watch tv online now too. Building Media Plans…
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