20 Small Business Ideas for Small Towns

Becky McCray, author of the blog Small Business Survival has published an ebook called 20 Small Business Ideas for Small Towns. Take a look at the table of contents after the jump. If you can’t find a good idea in there to profit from in your community, you’re not looking hard enough.

Strategy #1: Be uniquely local
1. Local pride clothing
2. Local jewelry
3. Local photos
4. Local photo postcards personalized with your photo
5. Local hospitality in a family summer camp
6. Add value through local and organic foods
7. Cater to local outdoor sports

Strategy #2: Use what you know

  1. Create reference guides
  2. Be a tour guide in online worlds
  3. Fix things and resell
  4. Buy local items to resell in larger markets
  5. Buy global items to resell in local markets
  6. Share your skills as a taxi
  7. Paint business windows
  8. Share your space and your creativity

Strategy #3: Look at existing businesses

  1. Build a lending tree style market for everything
  2. Create a Netflix style exchange for business books
  3. Use memberships to support any business
  4. Leverage government contracts to build a business

  5. Target the rural market

Photo by The Library of Congress.

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