8 Rural and Small Town Trends for 2017 | Summary

8 Rural and Small Town Trends for 2017
Becky McCray, Small Business Trends

​A few trends for rural and small towns for 2017:

• Rural OmniLocal: small local businesses are selling via Amazon, Etsy, custom apps, and subscription boxes to reach more clientele.
• Independent workforce: freelancers, the gig economy, and working remote allow residents to stay rural while increasing income and increasing money flow in their local economies.
• Innovative rural business models: small spaces, co-working spaces, and pop up businesses allow new local businesses to test the waters, reducing risk for the growth of small local businesses.
• Local stores beat big boxes: as online retailers outcompete retail giants in wide selection and low price, local businesses that offer customer service, unique selections, and personal relationships with producers/retailers are thriving.

Follow the link above for the full list.

Three of CFFP’s core guiding principles are rural community resilience, social equity, and family wage job creation. Understanding business trends in the rural communities where we engage is crucial in realizing these goals and making sure that rural communities do not get left behind. The trends listed above point to an expansion of markets for local and differentiated foods, which is encouraging for the investments we’re pursuing.