Rural economies in danger A May study indicates that America's economic recovery is concentrated in urban areas and that rural citizens are far less likely to start new businesses compared to times past. A major reason for this is that the types of new businesses being created typically require high levels of education, which are found more in urban areas. The rise of … [Read more...]
Creating a more resilient rural economy
Rural economies are becoming more versatile and, hopefully, more sustainable, bringing resilience in the face of industry changes. Diversification in rural economies is a real possibility thanks to technology enabling entrepreneurs to connect to a global marketplace. This is manifesting itself in several ways. For one, information technology (IT) companies are becoming … [Read more...]
Episode 7: Diversify Rural Economy
In Episode 7 we look at various efforts to diversify and strengthen rural economies. We see how an old pioneer town is poised to grow its international tourism economy. We talk about how IT companies are having success locating in rural areas. Then we visit with a state development director on how entrepreneurship is catching fire in small towns. Show Notes Parowan: Finding … [Read more...]
Episode 6: Focusing on small towns
The Register-Mail, a newspaper in Galesburg, Illinois, is doing a 12-part series focusing on small towns — less than 1,000 population — in west-central Illinois. The purpose is to look at each featured town's trajectory, from its history to its future. Further, the series looks at what makes each town valuable and unique. In this episode, we speak to an editor and reporter from … [Read more...]
More IT jobs coming to rural areas
Bringing IT jobs to rural areas The U.S. labor and agriculture secretaries wrote a recent op-ed highlighting some positive rural business trends in the IT field. Several companies are training and hiring software developers in rural areas, bringing jobs that pay 50 percent more than the average. The Tennessean Eight rural businesses receiving 'Fast Track' grants In … [Read more...]