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3 actions to start a local business

By Becky McCray

Beauty salons are natural business incubators. Photo by Becky McCray

Want to start your own business? Start by experimenting with borrowed space inside an existing business. Photo by Becky McCray

 

In a recent conference call by the Orton Family Foundation, one of the listeners asked a great practical question:

What are 3 actions most effective at starting a local company? —Jay B., KS

 

My answer was:

Try 3 small scale tests.

That’s how you’ll build knowledge of what works, build an initial following in the market, and build assets toward your next, bigger step.

What can you do to test a business idea?

  • Try something temporary: pop-up for a day, a week or a season
  • Try something tiny: look for just a few hundred square feet to set up in
  • Try something together: set up your business inside an existing business, coworking space, maker space, shared art studio, or shared commercial kitchen
  • Try a truck or trailer: use more than one town to gather enough customers

Those are four of the Innovative Rural Business Models. They are the best way to build up to bigger future business successes. (Watch for a more in-depth article on this updated version of the Innovative Rural Business Models, coming soon.)

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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.
  • 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

October 24, 2016 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, management, rural Tagged With: starting, startup

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Comments

  1. Jerry Stevens says

    October 28, 2016 at 2:47 pm

    Thanks SBS! I didn’t see a search feature on the blog as I am looking for inf (research, ideas, etc) about rural downtown business revitalization. Any info would be great…thanks!

    • Small Biz Survival says

      November 1, 2016 at 10:27 am

      Stop by the Front Page. In the right-hand column, you’ll see a search box. That is the built in search-function, and it’s the easiest way to find anything you’re looking for here. http://smallbizsurvival.com

      Also, take the Guided Tour. It’s the best way to get comfortable with finding your way around. http://smallbizsurvival.com/guided-tour.html

      Thanks for stopping by!

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