THE RURBAN FRINGE

Planning a Small Town Seasonal Event

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Christmas is coming … with many communities gearing up to host their seasonal events.  What are your goals?   How can you make the most of sponsorships?  Can you afford to market on a shoestring budget?
In small towns, events are as much about [...]

Forget Whiz Bang, Focus on Small Bang

In public meetings across the country, many folks are desperately trying to come up with the next “whiz bang” idea to help small communities maintain their local economies. 
It’s tough out there … and it’s bound to get tougher before it gets better.
But wouldn’t it be great if people weren’t encouraged to go down the path of searching for a [...]

Small Town Tries Economic Development Incentives

Are business incentives a cost-effective strategy to help achieve economic growth?
The town of Denton, North Carolina (pop. 1,650) thinks so.
As part of their Jobs Creation Program, the town hopes to create 150 new jobs over the next five years.  Their plan includes:

Water/Sewer/Trash – Three month grant assistance to approved businesses to help cover water, sewer and trash [...]

Young Entrepreneurs Build Successful Rural Enterprises

In Ceredigion, a small county in mid-west Wales, three young entrepreneurs are building thriving rural businesses.  And, as anyone working in rural development can tell you, entrepreneurship is one the biggest drivers of economic success for small communities.  
In Farmers Weekly, Debbie James writes: 
“It’s a typical weekday afternoon in the Sweet household.
Tom is at the computer sifting [...]

Small Town Makes a Statement With Signage

When a highway bypass was built around Hooper, Nebraska, residents feared the slow death of their community.  To bring folks back to the town’s core, residents and businesses of Hooper came together to remind travellers of the community’s existence.
“We kind of lost our identity now that the highway didn’t go through town,” said David Hingst, 58, [...]

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