Becky’s email newsletter

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…

Rural business isn’t the same as urban business, and rural places are always changing. Those two facts are why I issue a report on rural business trends. And you get the first look, right here. ============================================Download the PDF or EPUB version here. ============================================Share this reportPlease do share this report with your email list, post it on your own…

I’m not much on resolutions, but John C. Shepard, planner from Wyoming, said something that caught my attention: “Implementation is my watch-word for 2014.”  That deceptively simple sentence could change everything for us this year. What if you made implementation your watch word? You’d choose to act now, instead of waiting for the perfect time, or the perfect…

I’m not official. I’m not sanctioned by any organization. I don’t hold any economic development credentials or chamber certification. I’m not an academic, and I haven’t authored any scholarly papers. I have not conducted any scientific research. My businesses are nothing special. I don’t hold a seat on any local boards or commissions. I’m barely…

Three things hit me today that made me think the theme this week is “technology gets us beyond boundaries.” 1. You can live the life you want anywhere in the world.That’s from the introduction to Navigating Social Media: A Field Guide from our rural friends at 9 Clouds.  “When you are digitally literate, you are no longer…

In my travels, I’be been refining my latest hypothesis of small towns:  Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to see what’s really going on.  You know you’ve heard (or maybe said): We tried that once. That’s not how we do things here. That wouldn’t work here because… We can’t because we’re just a …  Each…

Today, I finished my last speaking event for 2013. (Whew!) So I’m taking time to reconnect with you. I’ve missed talking with you! You know that I’m writing a 7 week series on The 7 Most Common Weaknesses of Local Shops, and what we’re all going to do about them. Here’s the list so far:…

I have several random topics this week. (Does it sound better if I say it’s like a topic sampler?) Wait! I just figured out the connection: It’s time for us to look ahead. 1. Upcoming TravelI’m going to be out of town the next several weeks, visiting communities and speaking in Ardmore, Oklahoma; Simcoe, Ontario,…