The 1980s was a seminal period in the development of what we now define as the action movie. This was the decade that cemented the statuses of both Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger as the muscle-bound box office behemoths eating the competition for breakfast. Having emerged off the back of critically acclaimed efforts like Rocky […]
Surviving the Peaks and Valleys of Seasonal Small Business in a Rural Ski Town
Part of our Global Entrepreneurship Week celebration Nov 13-19, 2023. Guest post by Mike Humphrey, Japan Skiing has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I donât know why my parents decided skiing would be our family sport. They were not avid skiers, and we didnât live in a ski […]
GEW: Rural Entrepreneurship in small villages in Portugal â panel video
Part of our Global Entrepreneurship Week celebration Nov 13-19, 2023. Speaking about small businesses, entrepreneurship and sharing rural stories Story and photos by Deb Brown I was invited to speak in Portugal by my friend and business associate Frederico Lucas. My first night in Lisbon I spoke at this event hosted at the coworking space NOW […]
Shop Indie Local Week and Holiday Season, itâs way more than Shop Small Saturday
Guest post by Jen Risley, AMIBA Thank you for your commitment to building the local economy movement! Wishing you an inspiring Shop Indie Local Week with the entire community. My cat Shamu (above) canât wait for Plaid Friday! One practical step: #ShopIndieLocal It doesnât have to be overwhelming. Any local business or group can start by sharing social […]
Shop Local tools: Easy Editorial, Letter to the Editor template to copy
Promote local shopping with a letter to the editor or editorial Step by step instructions Ready to promote local shopping to more of your community? Try an editorial or a letter to the editor. You can submit this to your local newspaper, share it in any organization newsletters, and post it on social media! Step […]
Book review: Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg
Get better at connecting with people. Charles Duhiggâs new book Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection offers practical ways to hold deeper, more meaningful, less conflict-driven conversations. Given the divisiveness in small towns and rural communities today, these are essential community-building skills. Itâs also relevant for rural small business owners who face a […]
How might we put âunityâ back in community?
Communities are the foundation of our society, and their strength and success lie in the unity of its members. Yet, often at the heart of so many communities is disunity. As a community coach, I collaborate with rural leaders to build local capacity and engage community members in working on local priorities so their community […]
99% of the best things you can do for your town donât require anyoneâs permission
Building community in your small town sounds like a daunting task. Itâs easy to get bogged down, thinking thereâs too much to do, that youâd need too many permissions or it would take too much money. The reality of building community is itâs a change of mindset to Take Small Steps. 99% of the best […]
Improving the rural workforce: small town stories and takeaways
Takeaways for improving rural workforce: Bring together students, employers and multiple levels of education Build and document employee skills with micro-credentials Use apprenticeships to build skills, increase awareness of local job options Stitch together multiple programs to build your own workforce To add a new program in the public schools, hire dedicated program staff (at […]
