More on the subject of combating “brain drain.” This time: how to get your alumni back, at any stage of life.
Action Items for Everyone:
- Hold awe inspiring alumni reunions. Cross the Year boundaries and combine all the classes. Do this more than once every millenia. (Waynoka does it every 5 years.)
- Pick one online tool for alumni, and promote it ceaselessly. Work to get everyone you can find signed up on classmates.com or some related tool. Encourage the networking!
- Include all alums. Private schools, church schools, rural schools, vo-tech schools, schools now closed or consolidated, all the schools you can think of. Remember the colleges, universities, junior colleges, beauty schools, and trade schools. Heck, include the pre-schools if it will help!
- Develop an outstanding mailing list of alums. Use it wisely to promote your the quality of your town, events and opportunities to return.
- Publish an alumni directory. Make it the fashionable place to have your name listed. Allow alums to provide a bio or some personal info. Promote networking!
- Create incentives to move in. Can you finagle reduced utilities? Streamlined permitting? Free or reduced building lots? If not, what about compiling a list of standard incentives anyone could qualify for, like homebuyer assistance, free checking or anything you can think of! Now, the kicker is that you must promote these incentives.
- Promote your business opportunities to alums. Do you have an industrial park? Building incentives? Do your alums know about them?
[small biz] [rural] [brain drain] [alumni] [Becky McCray]
- Downtown is your town’s core: How to make your case - February 22, 2021
- Zoom Towns: attracting and supporting remote workers in rural small towns - December 10, 2020
- In an economic crisis, spend your brainpower before your dollars - November 25, 2020
- Video: How to fill empty car dealership buildings for the holidays - November 6, 2020
- How has 2020 changed the challenges rural small towns face? Tell us here - October 20, 2020
- The Idea Friendly Method to surviving a business crisis - October 6, 2020
- Join me for the Rural Renewal Symposium online Oct 13 - September 26, 2020
- Cheap placemaking idea: instant murals - September 11, 2020
- Refilling the rural business pipeline - July 7, 2020
- Huge vacant buildings: grants to renovate? - June 9, 2020
