Small Town Stories | Local Business Marketing, Small Town Business, Entrepreneurship

Jan Ditchfield | Small Business Marketing Strategist & Small Town Business Entrepreneur
  • 4.5 (4)
  • Entrepreneurship

Are you trying to grow a small town business while feeling like most entrepreneurship advice was never designed for the reality of local business? Do you ever wonder why some Main Street businesses become thriving community staples while others struggle to stay visible in a world that’s changing faster than ever? And are you craving more honest conversations about what it actually takes to build something meaningful in a small town today — from marketing and creativity to reinvention, tourism, leadership, and community? If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place! Welcome to Small Town Stories, the podcast exploring the business behind Main Streets across Canada, the U.S., and beyond. Each week, we’re diving into conversations about local business marketing, entrepreneurship, and the realities of building a small town business in today’s modern world. I’m Jan Ditchfield — top-ranked podcast host, marketer, entrepreneur, and longtime storyteller. After spending years building businesses and working in marketing, media, and online entrepreneurship, I eventually found myself back in the small town where I grew up: Merrickville, Ontario. And what I realized very quickly is this... small town business works differently. The relationships are different. The visibility challenges are different. Reputation matters differently. Word of mouth matters differently. And yet most business advice completely ignores the nuance of what it takes to grow a local business in a tight-knit community. That’s why I created this show! Inside the podcast, you’ll hear interviews with entrepreneurs, founders, creatives, shop owners, community builders, tourism leaders, and the people shaping modern small town life today. You’ll also hear solo episodes where I break down the marketing strategies, customer experience ideas, local branding lessons, and business insights that help small businesses stand out and grow sustainably. We talk about everything from local tourism and community-driven growth to small business marketing, creativity, entrepreneurship, customer loyalty, destination businesses, and what it really means to build a business people want to keep coming back to. So whether you own a storefront, run a service-based business, dream of opening something one day, or simply love the culture and character behind Main Street businesses, I’m so glad you’re here. Hit follow, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and join us every Thursday for new conversations about the people, places, and strategies shaping small towns today. And if you want to connect beyond the podcast, you can visit thesmalltownstoriespodcast.com and follow along on Instagram at @thesmalltownstoriespodcast for guest announcements, behind-the-scenes updates, and more stories from small towns across North America.

  1. Sep 10

    What Makes a Small Town Feel Like Home? 10 Stories About Business, Community and Belonging (Season One Wrap-Up)

    What makes a small town feel like home? Maybe it’s knowing your coffee order before you reach the counter. Maybe it’s waving to the same neighbour for three years, or walking into a store for five minutes and staying for twenty because someone started talking to you. When I started Small Town Stories, I thought I was going looking for the stories behind local business and the people who built them. Ten conversations later, I realized I’d been finding something much bigger. Across this first season, small business owners, entrepreneurs, artists, volunteers and community builders showed me all the little ways people shape the places they call home. A coffee shop can make sure someone isn’t alone on Christmas morning. A farmstand business can become another way of caring for your neighbours. A local business can create the very sense of belonging its owner had been searching for herself. And this is where small town entrepreneurship gets interesting. Small business growth doesn’t always mean getting bigger. Sometimes success looks like staying close to home, knowing the people you serve and building something your community would genuinely miss if it disappeared. Because the traditions, businesses and gathering places we associate with small town culture don’t simply happen. Someone keeps showing up. Someone volunteers. Someone shops locally. Someone takes over when another person has been carrying something for long enough. Maybe belonging is reciprocal that way. A place gives something to us, and eventually we get to decide what we’ll give back. After ten conversations, I think that’s what I’ve been trying to understand all season: how people make a small town feel like home—and the quiet, everyday choices that keep it feeling that way for whoever comes next. If you’ve loved Season One of Small Town Stories, follow the show and leave a rating or review. And I’ll see you in Season Two. Thanks for listening to Small Town Stories, the podcast exploring the business behind Main Street and the people shaping small towns across Canada. Each week, we share conversations about small town business, entrepreneurship, local business marketing, creativity, community, and what it really takes to build something meaningful in today's world. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you're following the show wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a conversation. You can learn more, join the newsletter, and explore past episodes at thesmalltownstoriespodcast.com. And come say hello on Instagram at @thesmalltownstoriespodcast, where we're continuing the conversation about small town businesses, local entrepreneurship, and the stories behind the places people love most.

  2. Sep 3

    16: A Community Business Gem: What Keeps People Coming Back to This Small Town Store

    What makes a community business become more than a place to shop? Sometimes the answer isn’t what it sells. It’s how deeply it becomes part of the life happening around it. In Athens, Ontario, JoAnne Sytsma owns The Village Store, a local business inside a historic building she and her late husband, Sid, spent 13 months bringing back to life. What they created together was rooted in JoAnne’s memories of the village grocery stores she knew growing up—the kind of places where people knew your name, the butcher knew what you needed, and a quick trip for groceries could easily turn into a conversation. Eight years later, the bells on The Village Store’s front door rarely stop ringing. In this episode of Small Town Stories, JoAnne shares what she and Sid hoped to create when they opened the store, why restoring the building mattered, and how listening to the people around her has shaped everything from what she stocks to the local farmers and producers she supports. We also talk about what it really takes to keep small town businesses going in a village of fewer than 1,000 people. JoAnne is refreshingly practical about shopping locally: she doesn’t believe people need to buy everything in their own community. But she does believe that if you want a grocery store, gas station, bank or other local institution to still be there when you need it, you have to use it. As she puts it, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” It’s a perspective on small town entrepreneurship that goes well beyond transactions. For any small town entrepreneur, there’s something worth considering in the way JoAnne approaches small business growth: fair prices, personal service, listening to customers and becoming genuinely useful to the people you serve. Her story is also a reminder that small business marketing and small business visibility can begin long before an advertisement—with reputation, relationships and giving people a reason to keep coming back. But somewhere along the way, this community business gave JoAnne something she hadn’t expected in return. After losing Sid, she moved from the country into Athens and discovered how much being surrounded by her neighbours meant to her. Today, her sister, daughter, grandchildren and son-in-law have all become part of The Village Store’s story. Former employees still return. Customers bring pieces of their own family history into the store. And when JoAnne accidentally failed to open at her usual time one morning, people started calling around to make sure she was okay. That’s small town culture in a way that’s difficult to manufacture. It’s also something small business owners can’t build through strategy alone. Perhaps JoAnne explains what makes small businesses like hers matter best when she says, “People like to feel known.” Because this isn’t really a story about nostalgia—or even just about supporting local. It’s about what happens when support starts moving in both directions, customers become neighbours, and a business gives something back to the place that keeps walking through its door. Thanks for listening to Small Town Stories, the podcast exploring the business behind Main Street and the people shaping small towns across Canada. Each week, we share conversations about small town business, entrepreneurship, local business marketing, creativity, community, and what it really takes to build something meaningful in today's world. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you're following the show wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a conversation. You can learn more, join the newsletter, and explore past episodes at thesmalltownstoriespodcast.com. And come say hello on Instagram at @thesmalltownstoriespodcast, where we're continuing the conversation about small town businesses, local entrepreneurship, and the stories behind the places people love most.

  3. Aug 27

    15: Built on a Handshake: The Business of Reputation in a Small Town

    What does it mean to build a business in a small town where your reputation follows you everywhere—and a handshake still means something? For more than four decades, carpenter Ron Eagle has built his life and work into the fabric of Merrickville, Ontario. There are houses he’s built, roofs he’s repaired, a community centre he helped transform, and nearly 40 years of calls answered as a volunteer firefighter. His story is about local business, but it’s also about what happens when a lifetime of work becomes part of the place you call home. Ron’s career began with borrowed tools and a willingness to work. When he eventually went out on his own, word travelled quickly. He never needed a small business website, social media, or an elaborate small business marketing strategy. His business grew through building trust, doing good work, and knowing that in a small town, the person hiring you today might be the person you see at the coffee shop tomorrow. That makes this conversation an important look at local entrepreneurship and a kind of small business growth that can be difficult to measure. For small business owners, reputation isn’t simply about visibility. It’s about relationships, craftsmanship, keeping your word, and leaving something better than you found it. But Ron’s story reaches beyond small town business. We talk about growing up in Merrickville, watching the village change, serving his community as a volunteer firefighter, and why preserving that sense of connection still matters to him. And he isn’t finished building. Ron shares his plans for the land behind his home—a barn, a workshop, and ultimately a place where neighbours can gather. It’s a vision rooted in small town culture and a belief that what you build can be about more than what you own. This is one of those small town stories that reminds us that entrepreneurship can leave a legacy far beyond a business itself. Sometimes what lasts is the work. Sometimes it’s the relationships. And sometimes it’s knowing that pieces of one person’s life are woven into the community around them. Listen to the full conversation and follow Small Town Stories for more stories about the people building the future of small towns. Thanks for listening to Small Town Stories, the podcast exploring the business behind Main Street and the people shaping small towns across Canada. Each week, we share conversations about small town business, entrepreneurship, local business marketing, creativity, community, and what it really takes to build something meaningful in today's world. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you're following the show wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a conversation. You can learn more, join the newsletter, and explore past episodes at thesmalltownstoriespodcast.com. And come say hello on Instagram at @thesmalltownstoriespodcast, where we're continuing the conversation about small town businesses, local entrepreneurship, and the stories behind the places people love most.

  4. Aug 20

    14: The Small Business Website That Was Good Enough... Until It Wasn't

    A small business website doesn't always need to be the first thing you build. Sometimes, getting started matters more than getting everything perfectly in place. When I launched Small Town Stories, the show didn't have its own website. I tucked a landing page onto my other business site and got to work making the podcast instead. It wasn't a particularly sophisticated plan, but it gave me the space to find the guests, tell the stories, and discover whether anyone actually wanted to listen before building an entire ecosystem around an idea. And for a while, that small business website was good enough. Then the show began to grow. More people were listening, guests were sharing their conversations, and suddenly the infrastructure that worked at the beginning wasn't enough for where I wanted Small Town Stories to go next. It's something I see with small town businesses all the time. A local business can build an incredible reputation through word of mouth while its online presence tells a very different story. The people in town already know where to find you. The challenge comes when small business growth depends on reaching the people who don't. That's when a small business website becomes more than something you're supposed to have. It becomes part of your local business marketing and small business visibility. It should help someone find you, quickly understand what you offer, and know exactly what to do next. I'm sharing what building a new home for Small Town Stories has made me reconsider about small business marketing, infrastructure, and knowing when something that once wasn't necessary has quietly become necessary because your business succeeded. Because the question isn't whether you built your business the “right” way. It's whether the things that got you this far are still capable of taking you where you want to go next. If you're a small business entrepreneur wondering what your next stage of growth actually requires, I hope you'll listen—and maybe take another look at what's still “good enough” in your own business. Thanks for listening to Small Town Stories, the podcast exploring the business behind Main Street and the people shaping small towns across Canada. Each week, we share conversations about small town business, entrepreneurship, local business marketing, creativity, community, and what it really takes to build something meaningful in today's world. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you're following the show wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a conversation. You can learn more, join the newsletter, and explore past episodes at thesmalltownstoriespodcast.com. And come say hello on Instagram at @thesmalltownstoriespodcast, where we're continuing the conversation about small town businesses, local entrepreneurship, and the stories behind the places people love most.

  5. Aug 13

    13: Small Town Arts: The Hidden Growth Lever for Rural Entrepreneurship

    What role can the arts play in rural entrepreneurship and the economic growth of a small town? In Merrickville, Ontario, artists have spent decades helping shape the identity of a village known for creativity, craftsmanship, and a thriving small town arts scene. But maintaining that reputation takes far more work than most visitors ever see. When Kenna McCall retired to Merrickville, she didn't arrive intending to become part of its artistic leadership. A silversmith, gem cutter, and jewellery designer, she didn't even fully consider herself an artist at the time. Today, she's president of the Merrickville Artists Guild, helping an entirely volunteer-run organization support artists while keeping their work visible within the community. In this episode of Small Town Stories, we explore the connection between the arts, local business growth, and rural entrepreneurship—and why creative communities can become powerful economic assets for small towns. Kenna shares what happens behind the scenes of an arts community business, from mentorship and professional development to helping artists navigate pricing, marketing, social media, and the transition from hobby artist to professional. We also talk about the local businesses that have opened their walls to artists, creating opportunities for their work to be discovered even without a permanent public gallery in the village. Because the economic impact of cultural entrepreneurship doesn't end when someone purchases a painting or piece of jewellery. Arts bring visitors into communities, visitors spend money with local businesses, artists build businesses of their own, and creative organizations create opportunities for mentorship, youth development, connection, and belonging. For rural entrepreneurship to thrive, communities need more than businesses. They need the people, ideas, and institutions that make someone want to visit, stay, invest, and build something there. This conversation with Kenna is an important look at creative entrepreneurship, the economic value of creativity, and what it takes to ensure a small town's artistic identity doesn't simply become something it was once known for. Listen to the full conversation and follow Small Town Stories for more stories about the people building the future of small towns. Thanks for listening to Small Town Stories, the podcast exploring the business behind Main Street and the people shaping small towns across Canada. Each week, we share conversations about small town business, entrepreneurship, local business marketing, creativity, community, and what it really takes to build something meaningful in today's world. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you're following the show wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a conversation. You can learn more, join the newsletter, and explore past episodes at thesmalltownstoriespodcast.com. And come say hello on Instagram at @thesmalltownstoriespodcast, where we're continuing the conversation about small town businesses, local entrepreneurship, and the stories behind the places people love most.

  6. Aug 6

    12: Rural Leadership Redefined | How a Small Town Girl Became Mayor

    What does rural leadership actually look like once the campaign signs come down and the election is over? For Corinna Smith-Gatcke, Mayor of the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands, it begins long before public office. It starts with growing up in a small town, leaving to build a career, and eventually returning home with a deeper appreciation for the place that helped shape you. Like many people who grow up in rural communities, Corinna believed that opportunity existed somewhere else. After building a successful career at Queen's Park, she found herself back in the community where she was raised, never imagining that one day she would become its mayor. Her journey into rural leadership wasn't carefully planned—it was shaped by a series of opportunities to serve, a willingness to say yes, and a genuine desire to help her community thrive. In this conversation, we explore what rural leadership really means, why the future of our communities depends on people who are willing to step forward, and how strong leadership influences everything from small town businesses to the long-term success of local economies. We also talk about why the best decisions aren't always the easiest ones, the importance of listening before leading, and how trust is built one conversation at a time. Whether you're a small town entrepreneur, interested in small town entrepreneurship, passionate about supporting small town markets, or simply someone who enjoys hearing authentic small town stories, this episode offers a thoughtful look at the people working quietly behind the scenes to help their communities grow. Because thriving communities don't happen by accident. They happen when people care enough to help shape what comes next. And perhaps that's what rural leadership has been about all along. Thanks for listening to Small Town Stories, the podcast exploring the business behind Main Street and the people shaping small towns across Canada. Each week, we share conversations about small town business, entrepreneurship, local business marketing, creativity, community, and what it really takes to build something meaningful in today's world. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you're following the show wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a conversation. You can learn more, join the newsletter, and explore past episodes at thesmalltownstoriespodcast.com. And come say hello on Instagram at @thesmalltownstoriespodcast, where we're continuing the conversation about small town businesses, local entrepreneurship, and the stories behind the places people love most.

  7. Jul 30

    11: The Small Town Business That Became the Heart of Its Community

    Some businesses sell products. Others become part of the story people tell about where they live. When Jess Pasinetti opened Found and Forage in Kemptville, Ontario, she wasn't trying to build the biggest retail store. She was trying to make it easier for people to shop in a way that reflected their values. What started as one small town business has grown into a home for more than 40 local makers, creating space for creativity, connection, and community to flourish. Jess shares how her background in ethical fashion research shaped the vision behind Found and Forage, why she chose a business model that puts people before profit, and what it feels like to carry the hopes of dozens of creative businesses all at once. It's an honest conversation about responsibility, burnout, and building something that doesn't fit the traditional definition of success. Along the way, we talk about why local entrepreneurship is thriving in rural communities, how supporting local business creates ripple effects far beyond a single purchase, and why the future of main street business may depend on businesses that lead with generosity instead of competition. At its heart, this small town business isn't just a retail shop. It's a gathering place where neighbours meet, makers find a home, and customers become part of something bigger than a transaction. It's a reminder that the strongest communities aren't built overnight—they're built by people who decide to create what they couldn't find themselves. If you've ever dreamed of starting a small town business, supporting local makers, or building a business that's rooted in purpose, this conversation will leave you inspired to think differently about what success can look like. Follow Small Town Stories wherever you listen, leave a rating and review if you're enjoying the show, and share this episode with someone who believes the best businesses don't just serve a community—they help shape it. Thanks for listening to Small Town Stories, the podcast exploring the business behind Main Street and the people shaping small towns across Canada. Each week, we share conversations about small town business, entrepreneurship, local business marketing, creativity, community, and what it really takes to build something meaningful in today's world. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you're following the show wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a conversation. You can learn more, join the newsletter, and explore past episodes at thesmalltownstoriespodcast.com. And come say hello on Instagram at @thesmalltownstoriespodcast, where we're continuing the conversation about small town businesses, local entrepreneurship, and the stories behind the places people love most.

  8. Jul 23

    10: How We Tell Local Business Stories | Behind the Scenes of Small Town Stories

    Small Town Stories has never really been about making a podcast. It's about earning someone's trust and sharing the local business stories that help define our communities. People often ask how I find my guests, how much planning happens before we record, or whether I know where a conversation is going before we ever sit down in front of the microphones. The truth is, every episode begins long before recording day. It starts over coffee, with an old notebook, a lot of listening, and a genuine curiosity about the person sitting across the table. In this behind-the-scenes conversation, I'm pulling back the curtain on how Small Town Stories comes together—from the first recommendation from a community member to the final edit you hear each week. I'm sharing how I build trust with my guests, why finding "the thread" matters more than following a list of questions, and how every conversation continues to surprise me, no matter how much I prepare. Along the way, you'll hear why preserving local business stories is about so much more than documenting a business. It's about the people who have shaped our communities through small town businesses, the entrepreneurs who took a chance, and the volunteers, artists, café owners, and farmers whose stories often go untold. Their experiences offer lessons in small business growth, community business marketing, local business strategy, and the kind of authentic storytelling that no marketing plan can manufacture. If you've ever wondered what happens before, during, and after an episode of Small Town Stories, I hope this conversation gives you a deeper appreciation for the care that goes into every interview—and why these stories deserve to be preserved for generations to come. If you enjoyed today's conversation, I'd love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who believes in the power of small towns. And if there's a local business owner in your community whose story deserves to be told, I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for listening to Small Town Stories, the podcast exploring the business behind Main Street and the people shaping small towns across Canada. Each week, we share conversations about small town business, entrepreneurship, local business marketing, creativity, community, and what it really takes to build something meaningful in today's world. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you're following the show wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a conversation. You can learn more, join the newsletter, and explore past episodes at thesmalltownstoriespodcast.com. And come say hello on Instagram at @thesmalltownstoriespodcast, where we're continuing the conversation about small town businesses, local entrepreneurship, and the stories behind the places people love most.

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About

Are you trying to grow a small town business while feeling like most entrepreneurship advice was never designed for the reality of local business? Do you ever wonder why some Main Street businesses become thriving community staples while others struggle to stay visible in a world that’s changing faster than ever? And are you craving more honest conversations about what it actually takes to build something meaningful in a small town today — from marketing and creativity to reinvention, tourism, leadership, and community? If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place! Welcome to Small Town Stories, the podcast exploring the business behind Main Streets across Canada, the U.S., and beyond. Each week, we’re diving into conversations about local business marketing, entrepreneurship, and the realities of building a small town business in today’s modern world. I’m Jan Ditchfield — top-ranked podcast host, marketer, entrepreneur, and longtime storyteller. After spending years building businesses and working in marketing, media, and online entrepreneurship, I eventually found myself back in the small town where I grew up: Merrickville, Ontario. And what I realized very quickly is this... small town business works differently. The relationships are different. The visibility challenges are different. Reputation matters differently. Word of mouth matters differently. And yet most business advice completely ignores the nuance of what it takes to grow a local business in a tight-knit community. That’s why I created this show! Inside the podcast, you’ll hear interviews with entrepreneurs, founders, creatives, shop owners, community builders, tourism leaders, and the people shaping modern small town life today. You’ll also hear solo episodes where I break down the marketing strategies, customer experience ideas, local branding lessons, and business insights that help small businesses stand out and grow sustainably. We talk about everything from local tourism and community-driven growth to small business marketing, creativity, entrepreneurship, customer loyalty, destination businesses, and what it really means to build a business people want to keep coming back to. So whether you own a storefront, run a service-based business, dream of opening something one day, or simply love the culture and character behind Main Street businesses, I’m so glad you’re here. Hit follow, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and join us every Thursday for new conversations about the people, places, and strategies shaping small towns today. And if you want to connect beyond the podcast, you can visit thesmalltownstoriespodcast.com and follow along on Instagram at @thesmalltownstoriespodcast for guest announcements, behind-the-scenes updates, and more stories from small towns across North America.

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