After reviving the oldest operating soda fountain in the state of Wyoming, I can tell you firsthand that there is something deeply meaningful about bringing an old place back to life. Yet, like most things we romanticize from a distance, it’s usually a whole lot less romantic up close.

Since buying the soda fountain five years ago, I’ve had a lot of people ask about following in my footsteps. So in this podcast episode, I pulled together a few of the lessons that I feel are the most important when it comes to running a small-town business. Here we go.

Podcast Episode Highlights:

The element of risk in running a small town business
Lesson #1: Solve a problem
Lesson #2: Respect the history—but also listen to your gut
Lesson #3: Diversify. Or else.
Lesson #4: Don't forget to market to out-of-towners
Lesson #5: Create an experience
Lesson #6: Lean into your liabilities
Lesson #7: Don’t listen to your customers too much
Final thoughts

Resources Mentioned in This Podcast Episode:

Find my Old-Fashioned on Purpose planner here: https://www.prairieplanner.com/

Learn more about Chugwater Soda Fountain events here: https://www.chugwatersodafountain.com/

OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR YOUR HOMESTEAD:

Sign up for weekly musings from my homestead: https://jillwinger.substack.com/
Get my free homesteading tutorials & recipes here: www.theprairiehomestead.com
Jill on Instagram: @jill.winger
Jill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theprairiehomestead
Apply to be a guest on the Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/podcast-guest-application

Did you enjoy listening to this episode? Please drop a comment below or leave a review to let us know. This can help other folks learn about this podcast and we also really appreciate the feedback!

S18: E11: What I've Learned from Running a Business in a Town of 175