Small towns, Business, Two-lane Travel, Rural life & Humor
Communities rely on volunteers to get things done. Everything from freshening up store fronts to hosting events, running food banks and keeping the museums open. Volunteers play a large part in making 'things' happen. But what happens when that pool of volunteers dries up? Here are some tips to help find them and keep them... Continue Reading →
An entryway says so much about a building. It is space that is often overlooked, but sets the tone for what is ahead. Did you know, according to scientific studies, it takes the human brain less than 13 milliseconds to register if something is appealing and 3 full seconds to act upon it. Have... Continue Reading →
Help yourself. Help your business. Help your community. Spring is here, and we believe we will soon be getting 'back to business'. We know this forced downtime has been hard on everybody and everything. We are rooting for you. Each and every one of you. We WILL come through this. As a Rural Shapers, we... Continue Reading →
Our friends Tom and Kristi at SmallTownPlusSize recently reached out and asked us “From your experience, what do travelers expect to gain from visiting a small town? What do they want, look for, etc.? Why do they choose a small town over larger destinations?” Let’s expand that a bit to include “Why do people choose... Continue Reading →
Ahhh, the shopping frenzy that comes with the holiday season. From pre-pre-Black Friday sales to the after-Christmas clearance blow-outs, everyone is trying to entice us all to buy, buy, BUY. So you've had a good run of sales during the Christmas season. Now what? It is no secret that sales naturally taper off after the... Continue Reading →
We are not retirement age yet, but we are actively looking for our forever retirement home. We have specific wants- We want to be in a community we can be an active part of and volunteer in, one we can find a new church family in. We want a community we can work in (if we... Continue Reading →
Harness the power of your Golden Geese. Statistically 40% of revenue comes from repeat customers. Most people know 10-20 people who's opinions they trust. And according to studies we are 4x more likely to purchase a product or service that has been referred to us by someone we trust. There is a term for it- ... Continue Reading →
You see them as you are driving down the road. In front of restaurants advertising Today's Special, in front of shops inviting you to come in. Sandwich-boards are designed to grab your attention in a matter of seconds. There are 5 principle benefits to utilizing sandwich-boards. You can take them or place them anywhere. In... Continue Reading →
According to Webster’s Dictionary (yes, I have one on my desk) Community is ‘people living in the same area - an interacting population of various individuals in a single location’ A community can be your town, your street, your church, school, your coffee klatch, your business, rodeo family.. Whatever. Community = people. But what does... Continue Reading →
We often talk about businesses working TOGETHER instead of against each other. Here's a perfect example of small town businesses working TOGETHER for mutual benefit. Ault, Colorado's Main Street is only a few blocks long. Both sides are lined with businesses. However, this community does not have an Economic Developer or a Chamber of... Continue Reading →
Tips and Tales 