THE RURBAN FRINGE

Wanted: Canadian Businesses in Need

CBC has recently announced that the producers of Canada’s top-rated business entertainment program, Dragon’s Den, are looking for struggling Canadian companies to participate in a new business show. 
In this new series, some of the country’s top investors will spend their time and money to help these Canadian companies get back on their feet and will offer [...]

Is Your Community Business-Friendly?

Over the past eighteen months, I’ve been assisting two communities within our region implement a Business Vitality Initiative (BVI).  In a nutshell, the BVI measures how attractive your community is to small businesses. 
Developed by the Centre for Innovative and Entrepreneurial Leadership (CIEL), the BVI engages key stakeholders in identifying new business and economic opportunities and encourages communities [...]

Managing Great Expectations

Expectations are notoriously difficult to manage. 
For better or worse, I encounter this all the time in my line of work … where terminology such as ”community economic development” or “rural revitalization” cause blank stares, at best, or total misinterpretation, at worse.
Expectations are toughest to manage when people don’t know what to expect.    
So, when dealing with stakeholders on projects, programs or initiatives, [...]

Love to Love You, Baby

Small communities are like babies, they need lots of attention from caring people in order to flourish.

Rural Healthcare Camp

Some rural areas are combating shortages of health professionals by encouraging local young people to experience such work … and then bring their skills back to the community. 
One such example is Washakie County, Wyoming, which last year started Camp Healthcare for eighth-graders, Jackie Borchardt of the Casper Star-Tribune writes. 
This year, campers learned how to dress [...]