While traditionally, many think that rural businesses are primarily farms and companies that serve them, the truth is that rural businesses encompass a broad array of industries, especially since the growth of remote and virtual work.

SCORE mentors who advise rural entrepreneurs have seen this industry expansion first-hand. And it may surprise you to know that businesses with less than 50 employees provide 42% of all jobs in rural America.

Rural areas have also become popular places for American tourists to visit, along with rural local businesses such as antique stores, bed and breakfasts, campsites, cabins and restaurants. In addition, people living in rural communities need the same services that all Americans need, including real estate services, notaries, home repair services, car washes, gas stations, yoga studios, gyms, daycare facilities and more.

There’s also been a surge of tech jobs and businesses in rural areas in the past few years, including website and graphic design, blogging, podcasting and more. Essentially you can run almost any type of business in rural communities.

So exactly where is rural America? The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) looks at counties when defining rural America and considers nonmetro counties that include some combination of:

  • Open countryside
  • Rural towns with populations of fewer than 2,500 people
  • Urban areas with populations ranging from 2,500 to 49,999 people that aren’t included in the larger labor market areas

Wherever a business is located, there are many organizations and resources that can help rural entrepreneurs face challenges and grow their businesses.

Organizations

1. Center for Rural Affairs
The Center for Rural Affairs is dedicated to building a better rural future. Its mission—to “establish strong rural communities, social and economic justice, environmental stewardship, and genuine opportunity for all while engaging people in decisions that affect the quality of their lives and the future of their communities” infuses everything it does.

2. Center on Rural Innovation
The Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) believes “everyone everywhere” deserves to benefit from the burgeoning tech economy. It works with rural community leaders to launch programs supporting entrepreneurship, innovation and tech job creation throughout rural America.

3. e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
Guided by its mission “to help communities and regions connect, learn, and share best practices for building sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems,” e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems helps communities prosper.

4. Rural Business-Cooperative Service
The Rural Business-Cooperative Service is part of the USDA. It offers programs that provide money, training, education and entrepreneurial skills development to help rural residents find jobs or start and grow their businesses.

5. Rural Ideas Network
The Rural Ideas Network is a community of business innovators, entrepreneurs and rural champions.

The basic membership is free and provides valuable content, tools and more, including the opportunity to network with other rural entrepreneurs and access its peer learning forum, workshop and podcast library.

Read the full article about rural entrepreneurs by Rieva Lesonsky at Score.