Sharing positive stories of rural businesses and communities.
It is said that one in five city people are contemplating moving to the regions. A great decision! Who wouldn’t want to live the clean, green, lifestyle? There is just one important question. If they choose a rural town, how will these communities successfully engage with newcomers and maximise the influx of social capital?
Read MoreWith the power of authentic stories, author-speaker-facilitator Kerry Anderson, shares a valuable insight into the entrepreneurs that walk quietly amongst us, forging new opportunities and taking control of their own destiny in rural communities across Australia. Learn from the people that do it, not just dream and talk about it.
Read MoreWhy start a small business in a rural town? In 2012, Claire Morgan created Rupanyup Living in response to a long period of drought followed by a severe flood. The community needed a positive boost and Claire was up for the challenge. But, as she has discovered during the COVID-19 lockdown, the reason you start a business is not always the reason you continue.
Read MoreCafes are a draw card in every rural town. They are a social hub for the locals and a great reason for travellers to stop. Not many cafes can claim to be named after a much loved television character though.
Read MoreEveryone deserves a second chance. Rural towns diversify and reinvent themselves. Vacant buildings are filled with new purpose. Unwanted household items find new owners. And people are given a second chance to work and provide valuable community service. I really do like second chances.
Read MoreAs our city counterparts start to escape the ‘Big Smoke’ to explore rural towns are you aware that they may be scoping an opportunity to relocate by purchasing an existing business or setting up a new one? Kerry and Michael Kerr from Kerr Capital discuss the opportunities for our rural towns and businesses.
Read MoreCOVID-19 has presented a unique opportunity for local government to effectively engage with their business community. This is one of those rare times, prompted by a global disaster, to throw out the position descriptions, roll up the sleeves and work side by side as we prepare for a government stimulated bubble to burst in September.
Read MoreAnother great chat with Zoe from Smart Connected Cities about the positive and negative impacts of COVID on rural businesses and communities.
Read MoreEvery individual of a rural town has the power to make positive change. It may not be easy to visualise or measure, but it is important to recognise that the positive attitudes and actions of many different individuals, no matter how small, can collectively make a big difference.
Read MoreHow is the Corona Virus, or more importantly public reaction, going to affect your rural business? We are a long way from the cities and the crowds, but we know that the impact – real or perceived - is inevitably coming our way. How can we be proactive rather than reactive?
Read MoreWhy aren’t we investing more in the GOOD news stories and creating a positive narrative for our community? Let’s do it in March!
Read MoreUnderstanding the difference between a ‘clean’ and a ‘dirty’ flood is not part of the usual volunteer learning but incredibly this has been the experience of the Greens Gunyah Museum volunteers in Lockhart NSW.
Read MoreThanks to the ongoing efforts of an incredibly strong-knit community Lockhart in the Riverina region of southern NSW has farewelled 2019 on a high and is already enthusiastically planning for the next decade.
Read MoreLike many rural agricultural towns Sea Lake in northern Victoria’s Mallee district has visibly struggled with a declining population in recent decades. While the big dollars are still in cropping, a new generation of diverse small businesses are now popping up in this township thanks to Lake Tyrrell’s sunsets and Silo Art.
Read MoreWhen Ross Williams left his hometown of Sea Lake in 1986 for a career, he never envisaged himself returning. Twenty years later he was back discovering new opportunities for himself and his community.
Read MoreA local pub is considered integral to every rural Australian town providing an important social meeting place. In April 2017 when the Sea Lake Hotel burnt down and the only other pub in town was closed, action was clearly needed. Local resident, John “Bull” Clohesy picked up the phone and started calling a long list of people.
Read MoreSpeaking about rural entrepreneurship at an event I was recently asked an interesting question: Are rural people more entrepreneurial than city people? Instead of being compelled to justify to my city counterparts that rural entrepreneurs are equally worthy of celebration, I was being asked to judge whether they are, in fact, more entrepreneurial.
Read MoreAs part of the Creative Innovation 2019 Asia Pacific Conference in Melbourne 1-3 April, Kerry Anderson’s mission was to remind everyone of the importance of our rural towns and share ideas on how we can all give our support regardless of where we live.
Read MoreAs home-based businesses gather traction with their online retailing, another need emerges when customers start to seek access to a physical store front. Solving a problem for one such rural online business has resulted in a great outcome for the small town of Quambatook in the southern Mallee of Victoria.
Read MoreLike many rural towns, Quambatook in the Southern Mallee of Victoria is enjoying a reinvigoration of its community thanks to new comers bringing new ideas and extra hands to reinforce businesses and volunteer groups.
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