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Friday, January 15, 2010

Census, health reform, 'shop local' campaigns top 2010 rural small business trends to watch

Small Business Trends, an award-winning online publication for small-business owners, has released its top 10 rural small business trends to watch for 2010, and the census took the No. 1 spot. "Smart small towns and counties will be actively finding ways to get everyone counted," Becky McCray writes. "Watch for town meetings to answer questions, and a whole bunch of canvassing. Your small town business will be indirectly affected by the results for ten long years."

Health care reform, "shop local" campaigns, infrastructure and state budget crunches round out the top five trends to watch. Rural broadband ranks sixth on the list, which may seem low considering the heavy stimulus plan investment in high-speed Internet expansion. "Yes, it’s a trend this year," McCray writes, "but the solution will be a series of long-term projects." The migration of baby boomers to rural areas, regional partnerships across small towns, tightening of business lending and an added emphasis on close-to-home tourism close out the list. (Read more)

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