Becky McCray is an award-winning author and online content creator, podcaster, video creator, blogger, and ebook author. Since 2006, she has been regularly publishing blogs, podcasts and video streams. Her articles have been featured internationally across the web and in print, while her book Small Town Rules co-authored with Barry Moltz was reprinted in an international edition.
Books by Becky McCray
Small Town Rules: How Big Brands and Small Businesses Can Prosper in a Connected Economy
by Barry J. Moltz and Becky McCray
- Hardcover edition published by Que/Pearson Publishing Company, 2012
- International edition paperback, reprinted by Dorling Kindersley India, 2015
Awards:
- Winner, Small Business Book Awards 2013
- Winner, NFIB’s Best Small Business Books Published in 2012
Buy online from an independent bookseller:
Book chapters written by Becky
- “Innovative Rural Business Models” included in Small Town Big Money: Entrepreneurship and Opportunity in Today’s Small Town, by Colby Williams, 2019
- “How to Market a Small Town” included in Small Town Economic Development: Reports on Growth Strategies in Practice, editors Joaquin Jay Gonzalez III, Ph.D.; Roger L. Kemp, Ph.D., ICMA-CM and Jonathan Rosenthal, MPA, AICP; 2017, published by McFarland & Company
- “Why don’t local businesses get it?” included in The Age of Conversation 2: Why Don’t They Get It? Editors Gavin Heaton and Drew McLellan, 2009
Blogs & Podcasts Becky produced, hosted
Small Biz Survival
- Author of over 1800 posts and articles
- Founder, publisher and principal author since 2006
- Ranked one of the 25 top small business blogs in the world by Technorati
- Newstex Authoritative Content publisher – syndicated in LexisNexis, Thomson Business Intelligence, ProQuest and Postmedia Network. Previously included in the Visa Business Network, alltop Small Business, alltop Rural, My Space Small Business News and My Venture Pad
- del.icio.us – Hotlist (JPG) and Popular (JPG)
- Klout – Top Influencers on Small Business 2012, 2013
- Klear – Top 2% of all social media users
- Small Business Influencer Journalist, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
- 2013 Power Players in Technology Business Media
More places Becky writes
Podcasts and Video shows
- Co-host and producer, members-only videos, SaveYour.Town, 2015 – current
- Host, The Positive View of Rural Podcast series 1, series 2, 2013 – 2015
- Co-host, 5 Small Town Stories with Deb Brown, 2016
- Host and producer, Small Biz Survival podcast, 2006 – 2013
- Co-host, GoRural Small Business Podcast with Aliza Sherman, 2010
- Co-host Small Biz Startup TV video live stream with Jeanne Cole, 2007
- Host and producer, The Great Big Small Business Show podcast with contributors Chris Brogan, Ben Yoskovitz, Bill Gregory, Colleen Wainwright, Heidi Miller, Jon Swanson, Laura Allen, Phil Gerbyshak, Steve Rucinski and Ted Demopoulos, 2006
Columns and Guest Series Online
- US News and World Report – Small Business Outside Voices
- SmallBusiness.com – small business series
- The Empty Square Journal, Denmark – community building series
- Small Biz Trends by Anita Campbell – Rural Small Business Trends series
- Intuit Small Business Blog – social media series
- Agurban by Jack Schultz, Agracel, Inc. – rural business stories
- Owner Magazine – small business series
- Small Biz Pod UK – Small Business Letter From America
- Tourism Currents – Social Media Training for Tourism and Hospitality series
- The Flesherton, Ontario, Canada – rural business series
- SouthEast Kansas Business Journal (print)
- The Miltonvale Record, Miltonvale, Kansas (print)
- The Freedom Call, Freedom, Oklahoma (print)
- Pagosa Daily Post, Pagosa Springs, Colorado – author page
Original Research
Survey of Rural Challenges
Since 2015, over 1700 people answered the Survey of Rural Challenges. It uncovered big disconnects between what rural people want and what media, service providers and policy makers provide.
Results of the Survey of Rural Challenges have been presented to the National Rural Housing Conference, Oklahoma State University Rural Renewal Symposium, and the West Virginia Brownfields and Main Street Conference.
Reports from the Survey of Rural Challenges, methodology and other details are available at the Survey of Rural Challenges news page at Small Biz Survival.
eBooks and Reports
- The Future of Retail included in State of Main, annual report and magazine published by Main Street America, 2018
- Illinois Country Living magazine – Six Innovative Rural Business Models
- “Retail Incubator: The Village” and “Outdoor Retail Marketplace: Tionesta Market Village” included in Creative Uses for Downtown Buildings in Small Towns, University of Wisconsin Extension and Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Bill Ryan, Emily Lutz, and Melissa Kono of UW-Extension, with Errin Welty of WEDC, 2017
- 101 Ways to Start More Tiny Businesses in Your Town, by Becky McCray, 2017, published by SaveYour.Town
- Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns: Getting beyond “Shop Local” to create better local shopping and a stronger local community, by Becky McCray, second edition 2014, first edition 2009, published by Small Biz Survival
- Small Town Business 2014: Trends in rural and small town business, by Becky McCray, 2014, published by Small Biz Survival
- “Make It Interesting” included in Embracing Twitter …so it’ll embrace you back: An Advice Handbook for the Wary, 2011, edited by Ben Henick and Justin McCullough, published by Turning Minds Media, Inc.
- 137 Twitter Tips: How Small Businesses Get The Most From Twitter, 2009, edited by Anita Campbell, published by Small Business Trends
- “Get a Free Energy Audit” included in 100 Green Small Business Tips, 2009, edited by Anita Campbell, published by Small Business Trends
- “Failing Well” included in 7 Ways You Screw Up Your Life: (And How To Unscrew It) 2008, edited by Marti Lawrence
- 20 Small Business Ideas for Small Towns: Plus seven ways to make your own ideas by Becky McCray, 2008, published by Small Biz Survival
- Mentoring Toolkit, by Becky McCray, 2004, published by Business and Professional Women USA
Magazine, journal and newspaper articles
- Downtown Idea Exchange – Nineteen things you can do with a roofless building (PDF)
- International Association of Community Development, “Survey of Rural Challenges 2017: What small town people in the US and Canada see as their biggest challenges and what topics they most want help with,” Practice Insights issue 10, March 2018
- Ag Journal – Retail collectives increase options in small towns
- Illinois Country Living magazine – Six Innovative Rural Business Models
- McClusky Gazette (North Dakota) – Survey of Rural Challenges 2017
- West Virginia Executive – Can Our Small Businesses Survive on 9 to 5?
- Southern Oregon Business Journal – Idea Friendly Towns
- Southern Oregon Business Journal – The small towns that survive will be the ones that are open to new ideas, Getting as many people into business in the smallest ways possible
- Alva (Oklahoma) Review-Courier What do rural people say are their biggest challenges?
- North Central Regional Planning Commission News (Kansas) – Six Innovative Small Business Models in Small Towns (PDF)
- APA STaR: American Planning Association, Small Town and Rural Planning – Sorry I didn’t read your “rural is dying” article (PDF)
- BusinessWoman Magazine – Mentors Look for Diamonds in the Rough (PDF)
Reprints and sharing
Organizations that have reprinted or shared copies of my articles and ebooks
- They are not the enemy, Franklin Matters blog
- Get Customers in the door, Atchison County Development Corporation Newsletter, (Missouri) Spring 2023
- Top 5 Rural and Small-Town Trends for 2022 and beyond, Wetzel-Tyler Chamber of Commerce newsletter
- Rural Small Business Trends, Oregon.gov
- 6 innovative small business models in small towns, Solomon Valley Economic Development, Kansas
- 20 small business ideas for small towns ebook, Christoval, Texas
- Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns ebook, 2009 version, Duvall Chamber of Commerce
- Should small towns allow outside food trucks? North Beach, Maryland
- Let Them Experience Your Business, Inside Our Industry, Agracel, Inc.
- Here’s why I started the Survey of Rural Challenges, Inside Our Industry, Agracel, Inc.
- Small Town Rules: How Three Major Shifts Created a Small Town Environment for All Business, InformIT
Guest posts around the web
- The Freedom Call – What to do With Kids’ Ideas Even the Ones That Will “Never Work”
- Daily Yonder – Radically Rural: To Meet New Challenges, Be Idea-Friendly
- Strong Towns – 19 Things You Can Do With a Roofless Building or an Empty Lot
- Citizen’s Institute on Rural Design – Sorry I didn’t read your “rural is dying” article
- Main Street America – Need More Retail in your District? Share Space to Spur Startups
- The Empty Square (Denmark) – How Co-Operatives Can Help Boost Equity In Your Rural Economy
- NFIB – Top 7 Survival Skills Any Business Can Learn from Small Town Businesses
- NFIB – 3 Essential Steps to Adding Another Line of Income to Your Business
- Locavesting – Spurring Rural Entrepreneurship: 8 Innovative Business Models That Don’t Break The Bank
- Marketing Profs – What Marketers Can Learn From Farmers
- Marketing Profs – The Liquor Store Model for Social Media Marketing Success
- GigaOm – Can You Be a Web Worker From a Small Town?
- ChrisBrogan.com – Social Media Starter Moves for Small Town Small Businesses
- NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association – Tips to Engage a Younger Workforce
- Ragan – What communicators can learn from farmers: It goes beyond irrigation and crop rotation
- TEDxGympie, Australia – What is “rural”?
- Orton Family Foundation’s Cornerstones – Why Small Towns are Buzzing About Rural Creative Placemaking
- Orton Family Foundation’s Cornerstones – 6 Innovative Small Business Models in Small Towns
- Broadband for America – Broadband Gives “Small Town Rules” A Big City Perspective
- Texas Midwest Community Network E-Update – Mobile Toy Library – the most steal-able idea I heard at Main Street Now (PDF)
- Tourism Currents – Healing the country through travel and tourism – what urban folks can do
- Tourism Currents – Healing the country through travel and tourism – what rural folks can do
- Tourism Currents – Rural tourism challenges and opportunities – survey results
- The Chamber Courier, Canton (Illinois) Chamber of Commerce newsletter – How do you greet a new idea?
- WebDancers – What Makes a Business Local?
- Successful Blog by Liz Strauss – Social Networking and a Small Town: Why Bother?
- Denise O’Berry – Natural Resources: The Next Wave of Opportunity for Entrepreneurs
- Citrix Online’s Workshifting – Workshifting from a Small Town
- Shift Your Shopping – Weekly tips for retailers to get the most out of Shift Your Shopping
- Cascadia Foodshed Financing Project – 8 Rural and Small Town Trends for 2017
- LogMeIn – Offer free resources the right way
- Small Business Bonfire – Six Steps to Stop Giving Away Too Much for Free
- AgChat Foundation – Social Media Time Management for Farmers and Ranchers
- Goals on Track – The 6 Most Important Things You Need To Do Every Day
- Verisign – Customers Want Local
- BlogWorld – Big Cities and Small Towns
- Urban Escapee – Small Town Rules Apply Everywhere, Right?
- Firefly Coaching – 6 Ways to Succeed with Social Media by Pretending You’re a Small Town Business
- Republic County Kansas – What rural people say they need.
- Work It. Mom! – 14 Tips for Really Rural Entrepreneurs with Aliza Sherman
- 300 Words a Day – While walking along a wheat field
- Small Business Oklahoma – How to Find Help for Your Small Business in Oklahoma
- Skift – Every Small Town’s Tourism Strategy Should Include Free Wi-Fi and Workspaces
- Forest County Business Alliance – Create A Network of Lodging Owners
As a professional speaker, I understand the importance of creating a memorable event that not only captivates your audience, but also leaves a lasting impact. That’s why I offer services beyond the stage like writing guest posts or creating custom audio or video content for your event.