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Why “Small Town” Might Become the Sexiest Brand In the World

By Chris Brogan

Small Town Buildings

Guest Post by Chris Brogan The COVID-19 quarantine has crushed so many small businesses and the economy at large. It’s truly been the worst financial crisis unfurling in this country since the 1930s. And while some measures are in place to help this not reach that level of despair, many people are finding themselves out […]

August 7, 2020 Filed Under: economic development, entrepreneurship, rural, shop local, trends Tagged With: Chris Brogan, coronavirus, COVID, covid-19, COVID19, entrepreneurship, guest post, recession, recovery, recruiting, remote work, rural, rural sourcing, zoom towns

Masks are the new “no smoking” for small businesses

By Chris Brogan

Small Town Main Street Business

Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash Guest post by Chris Brogan The whole quarantine and COVID-19 situation has impacted small businesses even more than the big guys because it’s not like anyone has massive reserves of cash around so that you could deal with shutting down for months at a time. And now, as different […]

July 13, 2020 Filed Under: customer service, entrepreneurship, rural Tagged With: Chris Brogan, coronavirus, COVID, covid-19, COVID19, masks

Open Up – It’s the Customers

By Chris Brogan

1950s crowd at a Soda Fountain

As different places begin to allow local businesses to open up, you’re not alone if you’re breathing a sigh of relief mixed with a gasp of worry. We all need the money. We all want to get back to being useful for the people we serve. And some or most of us are worried about […]

May 19, 2020 Filed Under: customer service, economic development, entrepreneurship, management, marketing, rural, shop local, trends Tagged With: change, Chris Brogan, coronavirus, COVID19, crisis communications, customer service, disaster, economic development, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, guest post, recovery, reopening, resilience, shop local

Remember when we used to try to hide our accents?

By Chris Brogan

Two Small Town Guys

  By Chris Brogan I’m originally from Maine. Accents up there come through the nose. Most famously, people from Maine are supposed to say “Ayuh” when we mean “yes.” Midway through high school, I moved to Massachusetts, where you lose the nasal thing, but you also lose all “r’s” from conversation. “It’s hahd to sound […]

May 7, 2020 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, marketing, rural, shop local, trends Tagged With: accents, authenticity, branding, Chris Brogan, coronavirus, COVID19, effective marketing, email marketing, guest post, marketing, retail, rural, service businesses, small business, small business success, small town

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