February 2009

New Agritourism Resource Available on LinkedIn

February 9, 2009

Operators of vineyards, farmers’ markets, roadside stands, u-pick-it farms and anyone else involved in the agritourism industry now have a new online tool to exchange ideas, ask questions and learn from others. A discussion group specific to “agritourism” has been created on www.LinkedIn.com. LinkedIn is a social networking site. The purpose of LinkedIn is to [...]

Read the full article →

Podcasts for Creative Small Businesses

February 8, 2009

Here’s a link for artists, writers, photographers, and all other creative folk on the back roads. Prosperous Artists – Outrageous Ideas for Creative Business is a blog with frequent podcasts for creative small businesses. Prosperous Artists is a blog designed to support you in building the career, business and creative life you desire. Dean La [...]

Read the full article →

Rural Business Weekly News February 7, 2009

February 7, 2009

Here are a few interesting blogs and online articles published this week that relate to Rural Small Business, ending February 7, 2009: What The New York Times has to say this week may not be news to most of us in rural America. But odds are, it’s new information to most Americans and their fantasy [...]

Read the full article →

Enthusiasm: The Energy to Execute Ideas

February 6, 2009

You can do anything if you have enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eye. It is the swing of your gait, the grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of your will and your energy to execute your ideas. Enthusiasts are fighters. [...]

Read the full article →

Handmade Collaborative Marketing

February 5, 2009

Here’s another example of collaborative marketing, this time among a community of sellers on Etsy, a popular site for handmade art and crafts. Last week I featured two collaborative marketing efforts among potters. To provide a support system for its individual sellers, Etsy has created Teams. Etsy Teams are groups of Etsy artist members who [...]

Read the full article →

Everything Old Is New Again

February 4, 2009

I do not choose to be a common man, it is my right to be uncommon … if I can, I seek opportunity … not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the State look after me. I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and [...]

Read the full article →

Rural America’s Economic Research Service

February 3, 2009

It’s important to understand where statistics about rural America come from, because those statistics influence the funding and governmental programs we see in our communities. One of the sources of statistics on rural communities is The Economic Research Service, which is an arm of the US Department of Agriculture, measuring the economics of food, farming, [...]

Read the full article →

What’s In YOUR Press Kit?

February 2, 2009

Many small business owners believe they don’t need a press kit – that because of their small size or rural location, they won’t be asked to provide facts about themselves and their business. You always have a choice. You can write the story of your business and describe your products yourself, the way you would [...]

Read the full article →

The Personal Touch: Your Business Portfolio

February 1, 2009

In doing research today on marketing for rural businesses, I came across a surprising article. The article is called ‘Using A Portfolio: How To Market Your Business By Hand,’ and discusses the old-fashioned art – or should I say never out of fashion art – of putting together a physical folder or portfolio as a [...]