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Rural entrepreneur tips from Dave Shideler

By Becky McCray

Dave Shideler is a fellow rural entrepreneurship-aholic from the Oklahoma State University Agricultural Economics Extension service. After he spoke at the recent Oklahoma Governor’s Conference on Small Business, I sat him down for a couple of quick interviews.

Rural small business tips
Dave shares some things any small business could do to improve their chances of success: write your business idea down on paper, do your homework with market research, and make yourself known. He also stressed that you are not alone. Every rural small business has access to some excellent resources, including their public library.

Resources for anyone: 

  • USDA Rural Development
  • Small Business Administration
  • Entre-Oasis
  • Startup America Partnership
  • SizeUp (market research)
Resources specific to Oklahoma: 
  • Rural Enterprises, Inc. (REI)
  • Oklahoma Small Business Development Centers
  • Oklahoma CareerTech Business and Entrepreneur Coordinators (PDF listing)
  • Oklahoma Department of Commerce Start a Business page

Rural economic development and entrepreneurship

I also asked Dave about how rural economic development and entrepreneurship work together. He thinks economic development is kind of coming full circle, back to small business. He also talks about the importance of succession planning to rural economic development.

I’m a big fan of Dave’s work on rural small business, and was glad we finally got the chance to meet in person. See more at Dave Shideler’s Rural Development Page at OSU

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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

October 18, 2011 Filed Under: economic development, entrepreneurship, rural

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Trackbacks

  1. Building Entrepreneurial Communities says:
    November 13, 2013 at 10:18 am

    […] Update: I caught Shideler for two short videos on rural entrepreneurship. […]

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