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
- Create reference guides
- Be a tour guide in online worlds
- Fix things and resell
- Buy local items to resell in larger markets
- Buy global items to resell in local markets
- Share your skills as a taxi
- Paint business windows
- Share your space and your creativity
Strategy #3: Look at existing businesses
- Build a lending tree style market for everything
- Create a Netflix style exchange for business books
- Use memberships to support any business
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Leverage government contracts to build a business
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Target the rural market
Photo by The Library of Congress.