We're bringing receipts!
Andrew Button just wrapped up a massive research project, consolidating all the data for all of entrepreneurs Mashup Lab worked with since 2015. That's nearly 1,500 applications for the Virtual Business Incubator (aka Dream Business program), more than 1,100 aspiring entrepreneurs, 600+ businesses in 500+ different rural communities throughout Canada & the US. He'll bring the key insights you need to support more small businesses in your community.
The Survey of Rural Challenges asks rural people what they most want help with and what assets they rely on in their communities and businesses. From 2015 through 2024, over 2,200 people have responded from across the US and Canada. It uncovered big disconnects between what rural people want and what media, service providers and policy makers provide. Becky and Deb have identified the trends, changes and the practical actions you can use right away.
2015 to 2025
Rural entrepreneurship, community challenges and assets
New insights into the rural entrepreneurship ecosystem and what gets overlooked
The massive pool of untapped potential entrepreneurs aren't who you think
How the future of rural economies looks different and the new opportunities we can tap
Andrew is the founder of Mashup Lab in Nova Scotia, focused on unleashing the entrepreneurial potential in rural places. Since 2015, he and his team have worked with more than 3000 aspiring rural entrepreneurs throughout Canada and the US.
Andrew is also co-founder of Awesome South Shore, a community-backed micro-fund that has given away nearly $90,000 in no-strings-attached cash to people that want to do something awesome in their community.
Persistent rural challenges including losing our young people and dead downtowns
Fast-growing concerns with housing, childcare and business support
Slow-building challenges of usable buildings and finding volunteers
The ONE thing: being more open to new ideas
Becky McCray is a co-founder of SaveYour.Town. You might know her from her work creating the Survey of Rural Challenges and the Idea Friendly Method.
She is the co-author of the award-winning book Small Town Rules: How Big Brands and Small Businesses Can Prosper in a Connected Economy.
Appreciating rural assets from natural resources to our strong people
Demographic shifts and how rural people see ourselves
The external view of rural and what outsiders miss
Action steps for business support, financial decisions, media coverage and our own people
Deb Brown is a co-founder of SaveYour.Town. You might know her from her work creating the Tour of Empty Buildings.
She is the author of the new book From Possibilities to Reality: Save Your Small Town with these Uniquely Do-able Ideas, Projects, and Success Stories.
You'll get practical ideas to put these insights into action in your rural community. Bring your questions, your roadblocks and the things you most want to know. We're saving time for discussion!
Sign up now to attend live or get the recording. You'll also have access to the slides and resources we share.
No account required!
Just click the Sign up now button, Enter your email address, Check the box if you want to get our newsletter, then click continue.
It may ask you to get a verification code from your email, and that’s so someone else doesn’t register you without your permission. Copy that code from your email and paste it right on the page where you signed up.
We will offer you a couple of chances to purchase other videos at a discount if you are interested, but that’s not required to sign up. You can accept or decline those, then you're finished.