Becky’s email newsletter

A reader stopped by my inbox to ask for my tips on attracting outside companies to your small town. I don’t have any. I’m not criticizing him for asking me or for working on attracting a call center. Maybe that is a great move for his town. Maybe it makes sense when you have an inside…

Last week, I attended an event that marked the end of an era. A professional women’s group I used to belong to was folding. It was the last-ever event for the group, as they wrapped up an almost 100-year history. A few of the die-hard members and I discussed how many other organizations are also…

Only a few factors go into making people happy. Looks to me like small towns are the best place to try.   At the AMIBA Conference last week, I heard about research into what makes people happy. Turns out, about 50% of your happiness depends on genetics. So you can’t control that. About 10% of your happiness is…

“Stop measuring civic value by real estate prices. A community’s value should be defined by the collective impact of its citizens.” That comment from Saul Kaplan on Twitter stopped me in my tracks.  I don’t care how small your town is. I don’t care that some state agency labeled you with bad numbers. I don’t…

Have you seen the Tiny House Movement? Imaging choosing a simpler life, with fewer possessions, less debt and more freedom. A tiny house might be the perfect match for those choices, with only a few hundred square feet. To me, the simpler life, fewer possessions and more freedom sounds perfect for small towns. Why not bring…

I am head over heels in love with what one little town accomplished. I wrote a post telling what a pop-up shop is. Reader Julia McCray (no relation) stopped by to tell this story: “Thanks Becky, I love reading your posts and seeing what other communities are doing across the country. This particular post describes something…

From outside, you may think I’m all success. But if you got up close you’d realize that I fail, too. Development is a bit like that, too. Whenever I hear someone talk about how amazing my hometown’s Value Added Products plant that is taking local wheat flour and producing pizza dough is, I think, “It’s really…

Annie McHale in Oregon, USA, asked about what to do about obstinate leadership in a small town. Annie and a small group of citizens are working on a better future for their town with some successes and some failures, of course. They keep running up against the handful of people who occupy seats on the majority of the…

I’m writing today from my front porch. This shirtsleeves weather is so much nicer than the foot of snow last week!  Years ago, a town near me won a grant to improve their downtown. They hired an architect, who drew up 3 alternative plans. The council looked them over, debated which one would work best, then…

Gossip is a small town tradition, right? And when you share what you heard from everyone else, that’s gossip. So this is the latest gossip from our little group. Last week, I shared 3 reasons why I think self-employment is a great thing in rural places. I wanted to share a few of the replies…

In the high-pressure realm of economic development, the idea of self-employment gets a bad rap. In this view, entrepreneurs who start companies and grow them big are good, but people who create employment only for themselves are bad. I disagree. I think self-employment is terrific, especially in small towns. Admittedly, I’m biased because I’m self-employed. Have…

This is an email exchange I had yesterday that I thought you might be able to use or learn from, too. I’ve withheld names and town details, but otherwise have not edited it.  Becky, We are very interested in your professional opinion on any research or experience on the success of these small theaters in…