Thinking Creatively to Expand Your Reach

Operating a business in a small town has its charms, but expansion can be challenging without a large local customer base. As a small town entrepreneur, it takes imagination and open-mindedness to grow beyond your geographic boundaries. Consider these innovative approaches…

- Leverage the power of e-commerce and deliverable services. Offer online ordering and shipping of your products or services that can be provided remotely. This allows you to serve customers nationwide.

- Become an industry leader and influencer online. Build your digital presence and share your expertise through a blog, podcast or YouTube channel. Position yourself as a thought leader.

- Form mutually beneficial partnerships. Strategic alliances with complementary businesses both in and outside of your town can increase distribution and exposure. Find creative ways to collaborate.

- Pop-up locally, expand globally. Test new markets by setting up temporary pop-up shops or services in neighboring towns. Use data and feedback to determine where to establish an ongoing presence.

- Diversify your offerings. Add new products, services or experiences that complement your current ones to attract new demographic segments both in person and online.

- Turn your small town into a destination. Creatively leverage your town's unique identity and history. Develop engaging experiences like festivals, tours or specialty retail that few big cities can replicate.

You already have the advantage of personal customer relationships that mega-businesses lack. Now apply creative thinking to turn your small town into a springboard for big growth and success. The possibilities are truly endless if you keep pushing boundaries.