Comments on: What businesses would work in a small town? Filling empty buildings

By: Johan

Johan — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 16:07:50 +0000

I am from the southernmost town in Africa and you can find us on http://www.southernstaying.co.za under the towns Agulhas and Struisbaai.

I find small town communities are very inclusive and reluctant to change. Understanding the reasons may very well put you on the inside track to find the right business

However, investors are often chasing big profits. Nothing wrong with that. But they often miss fantastic opportunities to make a difference and to help others in particular the small town diamonds.

Do not forget that small towns offer often cheap accommodation that can serve as the HQ of a company especially if the company operates globally.

Warm regards

Johan van Zyl
Also CEO of http://www.worldsolutions.co.za

By: Becky McCray

Becky McCray — Sun, 10 Nov 2013 04:42:17 +0000

In reply to Bill Blank. Bill, most of the suggestions above do not require the town itself to buy the building. Only one involved leasing by the town. While grant funds are more scarce than ever, tax credits are still feasible. Today, I was just re-reading some of Dan Carmody's comprehensive work on upstairs downtown spaces and how to redevelop them. It can be a long and difficult process, but many small towns have managed successful redevelopment projects. As you say, it can be a win for the whole community.

By: Bill Blank

Bill Blank — Sun, 10 Nov 2013 03:47:02 +0000

Unfortunately, most small towns are in financial trouble and cannot afford to buy buildings, or even lease them. But one thing not mentioned is soliciting the nonprofit sector, and utilizing the creataive talent pool, and the tax advantages the building owner may receive. Many nonprofits have access to grant funding for makeovers that will improve the building, neighborhood, and the town. This can be win-win for the city, community, agency, and property owners.

By: Becky McCray

Becky McCray — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 15:19:47 +0000

In reply to Ivan Widjaya. Ivan, I agree that small towns are a great venue for small business. But it's far from perfect.

By: Ivan Widjaya

Ivan Widjaya — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 06:03:32 +0000

Aside from the ideas already presented here, small towns are actually a great venue for small business. It is all about finding a niche and a desperate need in that town. Since it’s small, it is most likely available. This can help you have a stronghold on the market in that specific location – thus, giving you the perfect business idea.

By: Becky McCray

Becky McCray — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 04:22:02 +0000

In reply to Amber @ the French Pressed home.

Thank you, Amber. Glad we are helpful. You might like what Deb Brown is doing in Iowa. She is bringing in students from the university to design updated signs and facades for local businesses. The business doesn’t have to implement the designs, but some will! I’ll ask Deb to share more about it.

How do you get different groups working together when you have no authority over them? You do start with listening, like you mentioned. Then you launch a small project that makes it easy for them to join in. Even just flower baskets! Just start. It’s easier to get them to join when you’re rolling forward, I think.

By: What businesses would work in a small town? | B...

What businesses would work in a small town? | B... — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 16:12:54 +0000

[…] Here are a dozen more ideas for filling an empty building:1. Make a space that multiple businesses can divide and share. It can be a space carefully designed for compatible small retail shops, like Cathy Lloyd shared from Washington, Iowa. One downtown building gives life to many new retail stores. Shared spaces can also include a community of diverse businesses like 1440 Main Street. 2. Set up a business incubator. Ron Hirst has some suggestions to make incubators work in small towns. 3. Renovate, then lease or sell the building to the city or municipality. That’s how the Project Waynoka Foundation turned an empty building into the downtown library in Waynoka, Oklahoma. Then they used the money to buy another empty building. They renovated it, and then sold it to a business. Then they used that money to buy another empty building. And they’re still going. http://www.BandBRanch.com  […]

By: Amber @ the French Pressed home

Amber @ the French Pressed home — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 15:00:48 +0000

Loved this post Becky (well, I love all your post but this one is perfect right now). We just relocated our family from the West Coast to a small town in the middle of Alabama. The town is RICH in history and currently has a seasonal draw for Field Trials and the Theater and that’s it. We fell in love with the history, the historic buildings and charm (and cost of living). I will eventually relaunch my business here but in the meantime, I am working together with a couple of the business owners in the Historic District to build a Business Owner group dedicated (at first) to the businesses on the downtown street in hopes of generating some enthusiasm to improve the facades, update signage and make it more appealing for RETAIL businesses to want to come and set up shop. There are a few buildings that are vacant (for sale) and in dire need of some love but there is tons of potential! Many of the buildings have second and third stories that would be fabulous housing but …. There are several groups in town (Chamber, Tourism, Historic and Development) but there seems to be tension that prevents everyone from working together therefore no progress is made. I listen, observe, attend meetings, etc. to form my own thoughts rather than go by what one person says. I have no interest in getting into the “politics” of the town (because if you are “in it”, you can’t see it from the outside) but I would love to volunteer my time and services to help bring everyone together and build a profitable town that is more than just what it is now. Any suggestions?