Business Opportunities Weblog

20 Small Business Ideas for Small Towns

By on October 29, 2012 in Ideas

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.

small biz

Business Opportunities Weblog editor and publisher Dane Carlson lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, just 15 miles from Yosemite National Park. He accidentally became a professional blogger in 2001. He has added 12,198 posts to the site.

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  • http://wahm.business-opportunities.biz Angela

    There are tons of gems in that list. Everyone seems to believe you need to think “big” to succeed, and they sometimes forget how profitable going small can be. Small towns tend to have communities that are very close-knit and supportive of each other. If used correctly, that can create a very profitable base for starting a business.

  • http://www.make-cash-on-the-net.com Peter Carter

    Angela is right. By making a name for good service or being skilled you can get lots of business through word of mouth – the best and cheapest advertising there is.

  • http://coolproducts.com CoolProducts

    Often, opening up niche stores in some small communities that have that niche but lack the stores can be very profitable. Just because there is a Wal-Mart there does not mean that you cannot be successful with a small business.

  • kimberly

    I live in a town with a population of about 400 people. People say small towns are close knit but i beg to differ. In my town people try to tear you down. for some reasons they don’t like change. Any suggestions on a business i could start in a small town like this?

  • jasmine firth

    yeh my town is the same as kimberly my business partner and i recently bought a small business and the town doesnt seem to want to support us we are very young in our mid 20s do u think its our age, mmmmm so we have ventured into two other areas as well as our original and that still isnt working we cant go broke beacuse we dont have any money to lose lol. At least we can see the lighter side of our situation we have very supportive partners. Not sure of weather to venture into something more needed with todays economic crisis.
    We have a car detailing/car accessories and bullzye gear. If either of those cant make us money what the hell can im over it.

  • http://www.myspace.com/rickberrykaraoke Rick

    I moved to a “small town” in 1995 here in Oklahoma. It was “only 14,000 people. I moved from Tucson, Az which at the time was 650,000 pop . I was sick and tired of having 2-4 “Bosses” over me all the time at minimum wage jobs and while in tucson started learning the Dj/Karaoke biz at one of my night time cooking jobs at a bar/restaurant. Now laugh if you want but it seemed to me Everywhere I went, Karaoke entertainment was a heartfelt desire, nessessity and very welcomed outlet. (This was in 1985)When I moved to Ok in 1995, I worked a “regular” job, saved my money and went all out on my Dj/Karaoke biz working part-time at night. That lasted a whole one and a half years trying to build a “rep at just ONE club 2 nights a week”. AND I have NOT worked for anyone else ever since! … my biz has since outgrown my small town since I have taught 2 other people in town the biz and I now commute 6 nights a week to Tulsa which is 65 miles one way, but well worth the drive @$250-300 per night I now make.
    If you are a night person…DON’T over look the opportunity in entertainment. I was a shy, 110lb kid in school and never even Graduated, which is exactly what drove me to do this biz. My biz gross’ more $$ than most people make with a bachlor’s degree. (abt 70,000 avg)

    People may fail many times, but they only become a failure when they begin to blame someone else for their problems.

    Don’t give up and if you have questions about how to start this biz up, just contact me on my site.

  • http://www.felt.co.in felt

    wonderful business idea .

  • ikram

    u can start with small tuck shop …. it means u have products which are use in any emergency. thnx

  • yuppp

    too many “of these” that don’t work with your statements

  • http://www.unitedvirtualoffice.com/ David Nikolic

    a good idea, not necessarily a great one,
    plus good planning, networking and persistence.
    It also may mean that failure helps redefine the next business attempt.
    Finally, a successful business requires marketing.

  • Llench

    anyone here could help me decide a nice but small business at first….God Bless everyone. I am a secondary teacher but i need extra income. Please help….Thank u

  • evenhim

    Sell what people want in that location.

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