Smalltown Businesses: Feeling the Effects of Farm Financial Stress

The article discusses how farm economic negatively affects small town business. This leads to job losses in both business and agriculture. In economically depressed rural areas, programs aimed at assisting communities to retain their existing businesses may require approaches that emphasize community wide involvement. Small businesses in these areas would need to reevaluate their operations to improve cost effectiveness overall and to consider advertising. Rural communities themselves need to become proactive in attracting new businesses and creating an environment to entice such

Revitalizing the Retail Trade Sector in Rural Communities: Experiences of 13 North Dakota Towns

The slow death of small town retail in North Dakota during the 1980's is analyzed. These small towns had a very difficult time adjusting to a changing marketplace. Small town economies could be devastated by the loss of their retail districts. The study presented in this article had the intention of providing strategies which would be most effective in aiding retail, economic concerns of rural and retail trade in these small towns. Various ideas are presented on how to best aid small towns with the creation and sustaining of retail jobs and revenue in these small markets