• Survey
  • Book Becky to speak
  • The book: Small Town Rules
  • Shop Local video
  • SaveYour.Town

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS

How can small towns encourage entrepreneurship

By Becky McCray

Encouraging and supporting entrepreneurs is a hot topic in economic development, and I’d like to start a series on it here at Small Biz Survival.

Most of you are involved either in a small business, or in economic development in one form or another, so I’d like to start with you. Do you have an opinion or a story to share? Here’s the kind of thing I’m looking for:

  • From towns, cities and other local governments: Specific actions you’ve taken to encourage entrepreneurship, 
  • From organizations: Programs you’ve carried out, including training, workshops, events, etc., to support entrepreneurship. 
  • From entrepreneurs: What helped you start your business? Or what could have been done to make things easier for you? Did your town make you feel wanted? 

Be sure to tell us about the results you’ve had. Success and failure stories are both welcome, since we can learn from both.

You can comment here, email me, Tweet me, Facebook me… what ever works for you. I want to hear your stories!

New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates.

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
  • 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
  • Economic self defense for small towns  - June 7, 2020

June 16, 2010 Filed Under: economic development, entrepreneurship, rural

Wondering what is and is not allowed in the comments?
Or how to get a nifty photo beside your name?
Check our commenting policy.
Use your real name, not a business name.


Don't see the comment form?
Comments are automatically closed on older posts, but you can send me your comment via this contact form and I'll add it manually for you. Thanks!

Comments

  1. Vantage says

    June 17, 2010 at 12:39 am

    I am devoting my life to supporting and growing small business in this country. We have programs in place to fund business organizations such as Chambers of Commerce and industry specific organizations that support and defend business. We are just now launching these programs and look forward to working with any organization who may be interested in financial help via partnership opportunities with our firm. There is no cost to the organizations and the benefits are sizable. These programs also provide significant benefits and leverage to any size business anywhere in the US and even abroad. We are currently working with 4000 businesses in 6 countries. We are planning on reaching out and helping upwards of one million businesses in the next ten years.

  2. Becky McCray says

    June 17, 2010 at 1:03 am

    Vantage, that sounds interesting. Please do us a favor, and list your name, and your position with Vantage. (I know these facts are obvious to you, but we don’t know them yet.)

  3. Brad Versteegh says

    June 17, 2010 at 3:30 am

    Sorry about not including this information originally.
    My name is Brad Versteegh.
    I am one of the original founders of Vantage Barter Exchange.

    Vantage Barter Exchange is a community where creative entrepreneurs engage in a pure value exchange to gain economic freedom.

  4. Stormhierta says

    June 17, 2010 at 6:43 am

    What would have helped when I got started was free lectures in basic things like accounting, or inspirational meetups. Have a bi-weekly “entrepreneurial meetup” would’ve been good both to network and to share experiences.

  5. Becky McCray says

    June 17, 2010 at 3:04 pm

    Brad, thanks for adding that. Helps me know who I’m talking to.

    Stormhierta/Andreas, I love the idea of entrepreneurial meetups. I’ve thought of starting that here in Alva, Oklahoma, but I’m not sure we can get enough folks to keep it going.

  6. MOSCREATIVE says

    June 18, 2010 at 6:08 pm

    It’s great to see that we’re in good company!

    I wanted to share a great coaching/networking event that I found. I went to a business coaching seminar with Brad Sugars and they had great discussions about using the recession to your advantage. The coaches have a ton of experience and can give some pointers that really do work. I paid for my tickets to go to the event, but there’s a site that is giving them out for free, and I think the events are being held all over the country. http://coachmybusiness.net. It’s through Action Coach. I definitely got a lot out of it and I think your readers would too!

  7. nick waters says

    June 21, 2010 at 12:20 pm

    I think small towns leave too much potential untapped in the form of the student population that inhabits the classrooms of their public schools.

    Where else to better nurture the future of small business than in the hallways, and home rooms of the small towns future leaders?

  8. Becky McCray says

    June 21, 2010 at 8:02 pm

    Moscreative, thanks for the link.

    Nick, you are right on target! If small towns want to retain more young people AND grow more entrepreneurial businesses, it makes sense to do both at the same time.

  9. Ana says

    September 11, 2011 at 7:27 am

    nice!

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

Shop Local

Buy local buttonReady to set up a shop local campaign in your small town? You'll need a guide who understands how we're different and what really works: Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns.

Best of Small Biz Survival

What is holding us back? Why does every project take so long in small towns?

How any business can be part of downtown events by going mobile

Concert-goers talking and enjoying the evening in downtown Webster City, Iowa.

Why do people say there’s nothing to do here then not come to our concerts?

Retailers: Fill all empty space, floor to ceiling

More of the best of Small Biz Survival

Copyright © 2021 Becky McCray
Front Page · Log in