Local ‘mom and pop’ businesses who are effectively using Twitter and other social media were singled out recently by blogger Grace Boyle on her blog, ‘Small Hands Big Ideas‘:
“Call me a localvore (pertaining to not only food, but any local business). Coming from a small town I recognize the importance of the Mom and Pop stores and I love the sustainability that can be found from local business. So although I’m still a newbie to Boulder, I wanted to give a shout out to some local businesses that I think are doing their part online, by giving back and holding down, being unique in what they offer.”
Collaborative Marketing on a seasonal basis can bring success to all rural businesses involved.
The Red Rooster Route is a marketing partnership of six local family farms that have banded together to create a new self-guided farm tour, offering adventures ranging from picking your own summer berries and vegetables, to learning about naturally grown foods. Visitors will even be able to enjoy trolley rides and hay mazes for kids. Tours will be available in both Summer and Fall seasons.
An estimated 25 million people in the United States call themselves ‘self employed.’
They might hold multiple jobs, run online businesses or other small shops, or function as independent contractors or ‘freelancers.’
The Promise and Peril of the Freelance Economy provides a comprehensive overview of how self-employment has changed in America, and reflects changes in our economy and society.
“Traditionally, self-employment has been countercyclical,” points out Frank Braconi, the chief economist in the New York City comptroller’s office. “When the economy went down—when wages and salaries went down—self-employment went up.” That was evidence that “people were being forced into self-employment as a response to losing their paid, salaried jobs.” But in New York City, at least, that has changed. “The increases in self-employment are not so countercyclical any more,” he says. They’re neutral—“which is indirect evidence that more of the self-employed today are self-employed through choice than was once the case.”
The article focuses mainly on three categories of self-employed:
Soloists - Not just creative arts professionals, but plumbers, electricians and physicians in solo practice
Microbusiness Owners: Traditional entrepreneurs who sell goods rather than their services
Permalancers: Independent Contractors who have loyal clients and long term contracts
A description of how entrepreneurs are coping with the high costs and difficulties in obtaining health insurance is especially interesting, especially the discussion of the increased interest in Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to reduce their premiums. HSA’s are tax-free savings accounts that are tied to high-deductible insurance plans that Congress and President Bush created in 2003.
What’s the mix of Soloists, Microbusiness Owners and Permalancers in your community?
The struggling economy seems to be having a positive impact on agri-tourism and other rural businesses, as vacationers choose to vacation closer to home. In fact, agricultural tourism is emerging as one of the few success stories despite today’s economic challenges.
“I think the main reason for the boom is the economy,” Blake Brown, an extension agricultural economist at North Carolina State University, told Bickers. “People are finding that visiting farms provides a relatively cheap excursion close to home.”
You can read more here.
