These days, stimulating a small-town economy is more important than ever. Your local community will fail if there the community members don’t invest, especially in a rural area. Rural communities can’t thrive with farming alone, so it’s important for small towns and rural areas to find a balance between thriving farms and an economy with cash flow.
If you’re from a small town, you know how often businesses close due to lack of popularity with the locals. Without interesting businesses for these locals to visit and frequent, they will leave town to find shopping and dining opportunities elsewhere, and with them leaves the money to stimulate the local economy.
As a potential business owner, it’s up to you to develop interesting business ideas to keep the locals around and keep the money within the local community. Developing small town business ideas can be tricky because you have to cater to the interests of the specific small town, which are typically different than those of the population of a big city. Whether your small town needs a pharmacy, an ice cream shop, a hair salon or other type of salon, a barbershop, car wash, boutique, or even a food truck with authentic local cuisine, you will have a successful business if you cater to the type of business that the town needs and enjoys most. To prepare you for your venture into starting your own business in a small town, here are a few things to consider.
Small towns have specific needs.
For your business to find lasting success, it must address the needs of the area. If you aren’t sure where to start and need some business ideas for small towns, start by talking with friends and acquaintances about what they feel is missing from their community. This can be anything from a sports bar or brewery to a flower shop or specialty boutique. Every town needs a laundromat, bakery, and beauty salon, so if your town is so small that it doesn’t have one of those, you know where to start.
No matter what you decide to dive into, make sure that it is something you have a knack for so that you maximize the success of your small business idea. If you’re really into drinking beer and the science behind making it, you should consider opening up a brewery or microbrewery, even if you don’t know much about the business. If it’s something you’re truly passionate about, it will be easy for you to learn the tricks of the trade. The most successful business idea is one that you have an intense passion for, so you should turn that hobby into a profitable business idea.
Everyone loves fine jewelry.
A great business idea that not every small town business owner considers is a local fine jewelry store. This is an important idea to consider because jewelry plays a very important part in many relationships, and if there is a local fine jewelry store, then the locals won’t have to leave so that they can obtain the perfect anniversary gift or engagement ring.
A small-town wedding needs a small-town jewelry store to provide the perfect marquise cut ring and coordinating wedding bands for the next princess to get married. Your jewelry store has the potential to be a highly lucrative business, especially if you are the only small town business selling fine jewelry. Carrying a uniquely cut diamond (like a marquise-cut diamond) that can be set in yellow gold, white gold, or other various fine metals, will help your local business will find massive success.
Make sure it has a small-town feel.
This is the one thing that many businesses that hail from smaller towns are missing, especially larger companies. The sense of nostalgia will keep customers coming back for more, thus ensuring that you will have a consistent business. If the locals love your business, then the news will travel through word of mouth to neighboring towns and bring more business into your shop from all around the area! Bring the small-town feel into your microbrewery through specific interior design, and be sure to include outdoor activities and reasonable prices on your menu to keep the clientele diverse and satisfied.
If you feel called to open up a small business, be sure that you’re aware of what you’re getting yourself into. Identify the needs of the town, understand the niche market, prepare for any potential business expenses, and bring the hometown feel through nostalgic interior decoration.
