Rural Small Business

Rural Business Weekly News – April 4, 2009

April 4, 2009

Here are a few interesting blogs and online articles published this week with news that relate to Rural Business, ending April 4, 2009: This week the U.S. Senate confirmed by unanimous consent Karen Gordon Mills as the 23rd Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA). Several reports this week on the changing demographics of rural [...]

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New SBA Administrator Confirmed

April 3, 2009

The U.S. Senate today confirmed by unanimous consent President Barack Obama’s nomination of Karen Gordon Mills as the 23rd Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. As Administrator of the SBA, Mills will direct a federal agency with more than 2,000 full-time employees, with a leading role in helping small business owners and entrepreneurs secure [...]

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When Customers Prefer Stores to Online Shopping

April 1, 2009

According to a recent A.C. Nielson survey, customers have very specific reasons for choosing to buy in person at a “brick and mortar” store instead of online. The most common reasons why people prefer to shop in a store are: “58% of the people wanted to physically evaluate the product before purchasing.” “52% didn’t want [...]

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Renegotiating Your Fixed Costs

March 30, 2009

An interesting read today in The New York Times, in “Nothing is Set in Stone, So Renegotiate:” “Maybe your fixed costs are not as fixed you think. With the recession continuing in full force, you may find that everyone — from the company that supplies your office with water to your neighborhood banker — is [...]

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Celebrate Mom and Pop Businesses – Big Isn’t Always Better

March 29, 2009

Happy National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day to all husband-wife teams and family owned businesses out there. March 29th marks the annual observance of National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day to recognize family owned and operated businesses across the country. The observance of a National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day was the [...]

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Rural Business Weekly News – March 28, 2009

March 28, 2009

Here are a few interesting blogs and online articles published this week that relate to Rural Small Business, ending March 28, 2009: If you’re looking for an update on how the recession’s going this week, you’ve got several resources to take a look at. To start with you can take a look at an article [...]

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Rural Change at the Speed of White Lightning

March 25, 2009

A few weeks ago I mentioned that a vote was taking place in my area as to whether ‘liquor by the drink’ would be allowed and become legal in the ‘downtown’ of my county. Here’s what I said earlier this month: “The choice to sell alcoholic beverages or not is still a controversial one in [...]

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The Experience Seekers

March 22, 2009

The Great Lakes Cruising Coalition is working to get more cruise lines enjoying the Great Lakes, to pull into port and visit their small towns. One of their members posted estimates on the economic impact for each day a cruise ship visits. With just two tourist vessels scheduling 12 stops in one city for 2009, [...]

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Rural Small Business Weekly News – March 21, 2009

March 21, 2009

Here are a few interesting blogs and online articles published this week that relate to Rural Small Business, ending March 21, 2009: According to agricultural executives, the U.S. rural economy is coping with the global recession better than other sectors and this is due to “steady demand for agricultural products, stable land prices and healthy [...]

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Last Minute Tourism: Weekend Travelers

March 15, 2009

Rural businesses and small towns that attract large numbers of tourists are re-thinking their strategies this year, as the economy causes everyone to reconsider travel plans. Apparently Americans’ views of corporate greed are even affecting the types of accomodations that travelers choose to stay in: “Group and corporate travel are down considerably at many area [...]