S6:E1 - Microbusiness Development in Small Towns with Marci Goodwin, Katie Kelly, and Leigh Ann Brown

Welcome to the first episode of season SIX of the Growing Small Towns podcast! We’re starting off big by having our first-ever TRIO on the pod, and we’re so excited to share this episode with you.

Most small towns aren’t built on startups or corporations; they’re built on small (and smaller!) businesses, and today’s episode is all about those “smaller” ones: microbusinesses. This episode explores how supporting solopreneurs, side hustles, and local makers creates stronger economies, fuller Main Streets, and communities where people can stay, build, and belong.

About Marci, Katie, and Leigh Ann:

Marci Goodwin is the co-founder of SmartStart Business Development and has spent over 20 years as an entrepreneur and more than 15 years educating and advocating for small and microbusiness owners—long before “microbusiness” became a buzzword. She works with small and rural communities to build practical, trust-based systems that help local entrepreneurs start, grow, and stay rooted in the places they call home. 

Katie Kelly is a public servant turned entrepreneur and SmartStart co-founder who learned a lot about business development the hard way. She used her experiences to develop a system to help others avoid common pitfalls and launch businesses that are set up for success.

Leigh Ann Brown has over 20 years of experience in economic development and has a passion for helping community leaders support local microbusinesses. She has served as a Main Street Director, Economic Development Director, and Chamber Director, giving her firsthand insight into the day-to-day demands of these roles. She joined SmartStart as Director of Next Steps to help communities reach their economic development goals through practical, turnkey solutions that don’t get pushed to the bottom of the task list.  

In this episode, we cover:

• Why microbusinesses are the majority, yet they’re still underserved.

• Why it’s okay to not want to scale

• Why sustainable businesses are built by understanding customers, not chasing grants

• How small investments can create big ripples (and you know how much we love a ripple effect!)

• Why community matters just as much as the tools.

Links + Resources Mentioned:

SmartStart website: https://www.smartstartcommunity.com/

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We want to hear from you!

We really, really do, and if you’ll let us, we’d love to feature your actual message. Some of the best parts about radio shows and podcasts are listener call-ins, so we’ve decided to make those a part of the Growing Small Towns Podcast. We really, really want to hear from you! We’re have two “participation dance” elements of the show: 

1. “Small town humblebrags”: Call in and tell us about something amazing you did in your small town so we can celebrate with you. No win is too small—we want to hear it all, and we will be excessively enthusiastic about whatever it is! You can call in for your friends, too, because giving shout-outs is one of our favorite things. 
   

2. “Solving Your Small-Town People Challenges”: Have a tough issue in your community? We want to help. Call in and tell us about your problem, and we’ll solve it on an episode of the podcast. Want to remain anonymous? Totally cool, we can be all secretive and stuff. We’re suave like that. 
   

If you’ve got a humblebrag or a tricky people problem, call 701-203-3337 and leave a message with the deets. We really can’t wait to hear from you! 

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