Best 20+ Bussiness Ideas for Small Town

Strategy #1: Be uniquely local

Lead tainted paint, safety problems, and environmental issues have created another local opportunity for all types of products. This is a way of thinking that exists right now in your market. General ways to build ideas that take advantage of this trend: Evaluate your marketing. Are you promoting the heck out of your "localness"? It's time to start. Be more local. Don't hide your local flavor, your accent, all the things that make you, your company and your product feel local. Flaunt it! Promote the environmental benefit. Buying local products reduces the transportation costs to the environment. Promote your local advantages: high quality local workforce, safety procedures, and strict standards. For once, be glad of the regulations you must comply with, because they help make your product more safe. Part of surviving in a small town small business is competing with the world. This is one trend that gives you an advantage. Use it!

1. Local pride clothing

Create clothing that promotes local pride, and your place in the state or the region. Go beyond the usual high school mascot items, and promote your own local flavor. Get some ideas from Neighborhoodies (www.neighborhoodies.com). Expand this idea with related local pride items, like tote bags, kids' wear, hats and visors.

2. Local jewelry

Customize jewelry to your state or city. State of Mine (www.stateofmine.com) uses state shapes with stones marking home towns. Extend this concept to keychains and other jewelry items. Look for local jewelers to help with manufacturing.

3. Local photos

Make local photos into postcards, posters, or mounted and framed art, as suggested by the Photopreneur photography business blog (http://blogs.photopreneur.com/ marketing-local/). You can target tourists, students or other part-time residents and visitors. The photos can be your own, or licensed from local photographers. You can market in existing local stores, or even create a roadside photo stand!

4. Local postcards personalized with your photo

Customize local photo postcards by adding a personal picture of the buyer to photos of local landmarks. German company Cosmocard (www.cosmoproducts.de/e_index.html) makes this easy with free standing vending machines. This type of business would be great at your local festivals, in your downtown business area, or at the local souvenir shop.

5. Local hospitality in a family summer camp

Create a summer camp for the whole family. Take advantage of your area's unique climate and culture. Incorporate the local heritage. Make it special. Laura Fitton (http://pistachioconsulting.com/) told me about Red Pine Camp (www.redpinecamp.org), a success for over 75 years. They offer camping for the whole family, with the option to join in any of the activities planned for all ages or just relax.

6. Add value through local and organic foods

Local food and organic food are two ways to make a more profitable small farm, restaurant, cafe, food market, or other food business. Food -borne illnesses have made headlines from huge commercial production and from imported foods. It's better for the environment because of the lower transportation distances. Local food producers of all kinds should capitalize on this opportunity.

If you grow produce, get certified as organic or dedicate more acres to organic items. Focus on local markets, promoting your local advantage. Develop direct marketing methods to go direct to consumers or consumer groups. Restaurants can seek out local partners and organic sources. If you serve local and organic items, promote it in all your marketing.

7. Cater to local outdoor sports

Target the changes in outdoor sports. Rural small business expert Jack Schultz (http://boomtownusa.blogspot.com) said, "The fastest growing spectator sport in the USA is bird watching. Geo-caching, biking, hiking and extreme water sports are also growing in importance." Almost any type of business could expand to cater to the new types of outdoor sports bringing visitors to small towns.

Best 20+ Bussiness Ideas for Small Town