It had Larry Sailer, Michael Libbie, Claire Celsi and I on the front cover because we were interviewed by CNN.

I posted on Facebook that I made the paper and they called me an avid blogger, which I rather like.

Jennifer Healey from the Farm Bureau sent me the pdf to post (here it is) and we didn’t know how to load a pdf onto Facebook (you can’t).

So being the avid blogger that I am, I decided to share it with you!

(It was extremely cool to be on CNN, and also in the Spokesman!)

 Find the Iowa Farm Bureau online here and this is NOT a paid blog post, ad or spot. The picture above, in the red shirt is Jennifer Healey.  This picture was taken on the Roy Arends farm last fall, on our Blogger Harvest Tour.  It’s how CNN found us in the first place – Claire Celsi had written a blog and CNN asked that some of those farmers join us in Des Moines for an interview.  

1. There won’t be a double dip recession.  The economy is recovering, or better said for here in the rural areas – we are learning how to survive in this current economy.  We are already learning how to be more comfortable – we’re cutting hours of staff, not buying as much inventory, and purchasing what is useful and needed – not wanted.  We’ve gotten creative with our marketing and thank God for social media.  We know that business growth will be steady, it has to be – we have families to feed and dreams to pursue.
2. Health insurance rate increases will be less.  Most small businesses in my neck of the woods have a husband or wife who works a “traditional” job and carry insurance for their families.  It’s more than they can really afford, but less than if a catastrophe happened.  If the owner is over 65, the donut hole has shrunk and now they only have to really worry about high costs for 1 or 2 months instead of 3 or 4.  There are small business owners with less than 3-4 employees – and a lot of them – who carry no insurance at all.  It’s either pay your employee or pay your insurance.  (Please notice I am speaking from personal experience of owners in my neck of the woods – but I hear these things in all the small towns I go to.   I’d be very interested to hear the numbers and statistics about this.)
3. Obama will win the election.  Okay, the democrat in me says “of course he will.”  I just don’t see any serious competition from the other side – and anyone that might get elected is not concerned about small business.   Sadly, many small businesses are not hiring – they are working on getting by.  So any tax cuts to help hire are not taken advantage of here.
4. Unemployment will improve slightly.  Fortunately, Iowa’s unemployment rate is 5.7% – below the national average.  We are seeing a growth in entrepreneurial business – because people have been out of work for so long, they have to do something.  It’s also reported that more young people (20 to 35) just start their own businesses instead of fighting the rat race. We also see more work from home opportunities taking hold – Tupperware, Avon, Watkins, Melaleuca for example – all create reliable secondary income.  Often it’s enough for mom to stay home and avoid child care costs.
5. Banks still won’t lend money.  Agree with you totally here.  One nice thing in my town, we have three locally owned banks and it makes a big difference doing business with someone you REALLY know.
6. Sales will rise in most consumer sectors.  Agree here as well.  Business owners have gotten smarter and manage their inventory much better and provide value/service before it’s asked for.
7. Fuel prices will still rise.  Good Lord, it’s a circus.  In one day we’ve seen it go from 2.98 to 3.39.  Ironically, it seems higher around the driving holidays – and frankly, with these gas prices most of the holidays are ones you drive for.  Long trips over days have been reduced to day tripping. This is actually a bonus for small business – how can they meet the needs of that kind of traveler?
8. Stock market remains volatile.  Agree again.
9. Housing market will remain flat.  It’s still a buyer’s market in rural Iowa.  Unless you are buying land, and for some wild reason, we’ve seen $15,000 to $20,000 per acre.  Great news for sellers.
10. Social media sites grow, but Google+ becomes stagnant.  Social media is the new marketing.  Learning to respond to and anticipate customer’s needs and wants is critical.  If someone thinks they can shout out what they have and be taken seriously – they are in for a surprise.  Facebook is a common means of communication in rural communities; it’s the new party line.  Google + — I’ll hold my remarks.  I don’t see many of my local friends using it, but hey – it’s Google.  The chance it can be better and more useful for rural areas is a strong possibility.
11. The “Occupy” movement will expand online.  There are no secrets online.  If your company sucks, people will tell others about it.  We just had a big brewhaha over customer service at the local Dollar General.  It spread over Facebook and everyone is talking about it.  Here’s a chance for DG to make a change, we’re waiting to see if that will happen.  Also, our farmers and farm corporations are watching very closely what is happening in their arena.  They will not be ruled out.
12. “Deal of the Day” website offers will slow.  Funny, our towns are too small for those websites.  However, smart small business owners have paid attention and do offer deep discounts out of the blue for just one day – and we see it on Facebook and twitter.

Back story:

Becky McCray (featured in picture above taken by Sheila Scarborough) is writing a book with Barry Moltz called Small Town Rules.  It will be available very very soon.  Becky and I have shared the stage at several 140 Character Conferences, the original Hutch Bloggers tour found us both on it, and we’ve even shared an apartment for a week in New York.  She’s a friend, and I pay close attention to the people she follows, works with and listens to.  Barry is one of those people.  He’s on a google alert in my reader.  He’s also a really smart guy.  Now … you know the rest of the story!

To enjoy a thing of beauty each day.  Take a moment just to breathe and thank God.

I participate in Project 52.  You may want to as well.  

found on Pinterest on Annamaria Bittoni’s page.  It says it all.

Vine Me, Tony Muse photographer

I ranted one day that I was stymied by people who didn’t want any change.  Grant Griffiths, co-owner of Headway Themes and my friend, responded to that rant.  I feel it’s a valid rant and wanted to share it with my readers.

Grant said, “And that my dear is why those with ideas and a desires to move into the future are leaving the rural area and moving to other areas. That is a shame too. Especially when you consider we no longer need concrete highways for a business to be successful. If the “old timers” would either change their view of things or get their asses out of the way, the rural areas might have more of a fighting chance to not lose the forward thinkers to the cities.

I know first hand, the city dwellers are looking to the rural areas for a change of pace and lifestyle. And those rural areas who are willing to be forward thinking and not stuck in the 1950′s are succeeding. They are also seeing their young people hang around and businesses grow too. I have never understood the view in life of not wanting your neighbor to be successful. Don’t these people grasp the notion that if others are successful, they can be too as can their community?

What is really fun is the fact people around here have no idea what we do or how well we are doing. I would venture to guess our little international business is more successful than the majority of businesses in our community. And what is funny as hell, we don’t rely on hard transportation nor the community for our living. All we need is good, reliable internet and the guts to succeed.

One problem this town has always had is the pipe dream that we will get some Fortune 500 company to come in here and solve all of our problems. Instead of going after startups and micro-companies who are going to grow into the future, they waste time and money wooing the “big boys.” What a waste of time, effort and money.

Why don’t rural communities look at putting up an incubator or co-working place in some of the wasted 2nd story space in our downtowns? Why not offer these growing businesses and startups free high speed internet if they will simply move their business here and into this 2nd story space which is not even being used? And why not waive property taxes on their equipment for these startups for a period of 5 years too? Just think of the sales tax revenue and retail sales which could happen in a small community if only 20 new people moved to town. Or 20 of our highly motivated and driven young people would either stay or come back.

Until rural areas see the future, they will keep living in the past and not see what is possible.”

Good question, no?

picture from spirituallythinking.blogspot.com

Friday a group of different businesses is meeting at TownsEnd Winery in Hansell, Iowa.  There will be Country Heritage bed and breakfast, a representative from the Soybean Association, Breadeaux Pizza, Latham Hi Tech Seeds, Franklin County Farm Bureau, Cornerstone Cottage (gifts and such), and a few others.  We will sample some wine, eat a snack — and come up with creative ideas on how we can partner up and work together.

If we are to thrive and grow, we need to learn to work with each other.  No man really is an island.  What suggestions would you give to this group?  Is there something you’d like to offer?

These are just a few of the statistics generated by www.TravelIowa.com.  If you have a business in Iowa, it would behoove you to know the numbers behind travel to our state.  How can you make use of these numbers when planning out your year?

Who could you partner up with to take advantage of and show value to these visitors?

While you’re looking at the pdf document here, please notice the number of Iowan’s traveling within our fair state.