How do you make sure your small town is leading the band and not missing the parade altogether?
If you love your small town, it’s time to gather a crowd and start ensuring its future is golden, says small-town advocate Becky McCray.
The Oklahoma resident has a number of tips for revitalizing small towns:
- Attract ‘crazy people’ as in the ‘lighthearted, willing to have fun’ type of crazy.
- Invite local officials, service clubs, and sports organizations to have coffee and share their calendar of events. Hold networking events and business fairs.
- Always let people know what kinds of activities are going on in their local community.
- Have public conversations on the community and its prospects.
- Take small steps.
- Give awards, such as entrepreneur of the year, or even young entrepreneur of the year.
- Post flyers about shopping local.
- Think pop-ups or a store inside a store.
- Do something different such as an annual antique tractor parade (which helped one Minnesota town raise its profile).
- Reach out (like the Iowa community that invited urban bloggers to experience small-town life).