{"id":13692,"date":"2020-12-10T05:55:07","date_gmt":"2020-12-10T11:55:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/?p=13692"},"modified":"2023-07-01T15:03:22","modified_gmt":"2023-07-01T20:03:22","slug":"zoom-towns-attracting-and-supporting-remote-workers-in-rural-small-towns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/2020\/12\/zoom-towns-attracting-and-supporting-remote-workers-in-rural-small-towns.html","title":{"rendered":"Zoom Towns: attracting and supporting remote workers in rural small towns"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 class=\"heading h-element\">People have been saying for years that they would prefer to live in rural areas.<\/h3>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.trulia.com\/research\/cities-vs-suburbs-jan-2015\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-external-link-checked=\"true\">Trulia<\/a> research in 2014 showed\u00a0<strong>7% more people wanted to live in rural places than did then.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Population-want-v-live-Trulia-2014.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-13717 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Population-want-v-live-Trulia-2014-300x197.jpg\" alt=\"Where people live today and where they want to live in 5 years\" width=\"300\" height=\"197\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Population-want-v-live-Trulia-2014-300x197.jpg 300w, https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Population-want-v-live-Trulia-2014.jpg 614w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In 2018,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.gallup.com\/poll\/245249\/americans-big-idea-living-country.aspx?g_source=link_NEWSV9&amp;g_medium=LEAD&amp;g_campaign=item_&amp;g_content=Americans%2520Big%2520on%2520Idea%2520of%2520Living%2520in%2520the%2520Country\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-external-link-checked=\"true\">Gallup<\/a>\u00a0asked people where they preferred to live.\u00a0<strong>Rural came out on top for all age groups <\/strong>except for 18-29 year olds. With the 18-29 year olds, rural came in a surprising <strong>second<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Gallup-graph-live-vs-want-rural.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-13719 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Gallup-graph-live-vs-want-rural-300x199.png\" alt=\"All age groups preferred to live in rural areas, except 18-29 year olds\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Gallup-graph-live-vs-want-rural-300x199.png 300w, https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Gallup-graph-live-vs-want-rural-800x531.png 800w, https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Gallup-graph-live-vs-want-rural-768x510.png 768w, https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Gallup-graph-live-vs-want-rural.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Now people have a choice, and millions of them are planning to move.<\/h3>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upwork.com\/press\/releases\/economist-report-remote-workers-on-the-move\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-external-link-checked=\"true\">UpWork<\/a>:<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"heading h-element\">\u201cThe pivot to remote work is the biggest, fastest transformation of the labor market since the World World II mobilization.\u201d<\/h1>\n<div>In October 2020, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upwork.com\/press\/releases\/economist-report-remote-workers-on-the-move\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-external-link-checked=\"true\">UpWork<\/a>\u00a0found that anywhere from\u00a0<strong>14 to 23 million Americans are planning to move as a result of remote work.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\">\n<li><strong>Major cities will see the biggest out-migration<\/strong>: 20.6% of those planning to move are currently based in a major city.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul role=\"list\">\n<li><strong>People are seeking less expensive housing<\/strong>: Altogether,<strong>\u00a0more than half<\/strong>\u00a0(52.5%) are planning to move to a house that is significantly more affordable than their current home.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul role=\"list\">\n<li><strong>People are moving beyond regular commute distances:<\/strong>\u00a054.7% of people are moving over two hours away or more from their current location, which is beyond daily or even weekly commuting distances for most.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All of those data points contain some positive news for rural places and small towns looking to attract remote workers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1>How small towns can attract and support remote workers<\/h1>\n<h3>What successful towns do to attract remote workers:<\/h3>\n<div>In November 2020, Qatalyst Research Group shared <a href=\"https:\/\/qatalyst.ca\/blog\/file\/AttractingRemoteWorkers.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-external-link-checked=\"true\">their findings<\/a>\u00a0from a review of current programs from big cities and small towns all over the world that attract remote workers. Common tactics included:<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>offering financial incentives<\/li>\n<li>providing coworking spaces<\/li>\n<li>building a community of remote workers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Providing co-working and alternative workspaces<\/h3>\n<p>One of two top ideas for small towns is to provide places to do remote work. This doesn&#8217;t have to mean a formal coworking space. Small towns can start by identifying and sharing alternative workspaces from within the community.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Zoom Towns: finding alternative coworking spots. Making your small town remote work ready\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LeaJmTkbTNA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you don&#8217;t have a coworking space in your town now, there are small steps you can take now. Find creative alternative places where remote workers can connect with each other and get some work done.<\/p>\n<p>Where can you find unofficial coworking spaces?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Start with the public library. They have work areas.<\/li>\n<li>Maybe a local hotel, motel or bed and breakfast has a workstation or two for guests.<\/li>\n<li>Whatever organization or business you work for, could you set up a guest workstation in your office? Economic development groups or chambers might be first to volunteer.<\/li>\n<li>Look for businesses that aren\u2019t using all of their space.<\/li>\n<li>Maybe an insurance company has some open space up front.<\/li>\n<li>Maybe an attorney has an extra office they don\u2019t use.<\/li>\n<li>What about the church fellowship hall or youth center? Would they accept folks for coworking?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As you share your lists of alternative work spots, you\u2019ll be starting to build your remote work community.<\/p>\n<h3>Make more of the internet service you already have by improving public wifi coverage<\/h3>\n<p>Rural internet is exceptionally variable. Even places that look like they are served on coverage maps may in fact be dead spots. Just crossing the street in a small town can mean the difference between 30mbps and 3mbps service.<\/p>\n<p>That makes public wifi even more important to supporting remote workers. Here&#8217;s how to improve the coverage of public wifi in your rural community right now.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Find out where free public wifi is available now.<\/strong> This can be as easy as driving around town with a wifi finder app or even the list of available networks on your phone.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Let people know about the wifi you found.<\/strong> Make big, consistent, simple and easy to read signs. Everywhere you find public wifi, ask them to post one of the signs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Pursue more wifi.<\/strong> Encourage businesses of all kinds to add guest wifi. Encourage your local government to get involved. Does your local telecom offer any free wifi spots? Give them a push to start.<\/p>\n<p>In places where you find wifi is locked down, ask if they can open it or provide a second network for guest access. Many routers make adding a guest network as easy as checking a box in settings.<\/p>\n<h1>More tips for Zoom Towns: Remote Work Ready<\/h1>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/learnto.saveyour.town\/zoom-towns-remote-work\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-13720\" src=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Zoom-Towns-rect-6-300x157.png\" alt=\"Zoom Towns: Remote Work Ready from SaveYour.Town\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Zoom-Towns-rect-6-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Zoom-Towns-rect-6-800x419.png 800w, https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Zoom-Towns-rect-6-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Zoom-Towns-rect-6.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>These tips are part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/learnto.saveyour.town\/zoom-towns-remote-work\">Zoom Towns: Remote Work Ready video<\/a> from SaveYour.Town. Co-founders Becky McCray (hey, that&#8217;s me!) and Deb Brown lead you through a 31 minute video. You&#8217;ll learn to position your small town for the future of remote work, without breaking your budget.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/learnto.saveyour.town\/zoom-towns-remote-work\">Learn More: Zoom Towns video\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Cited in:<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Balancing Act: Preserving Historic Fabric and Enhancing Economic Vitality in Towns in the Metropolitan Periphery,<\/em><strong> Planning Practice &amp; Research,<\/strong> John Accordino &amp; Sarin Adhikari, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2021 https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/02697459.2021.1995970<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>People have been saying for years that they would prefer to live in rural areas. Trulia research in 2014 showed\u00a07% more people wanted to live in rural places than did then. In 2018,\u00a0Gallup\u00a0asked people where they preferred to live.\u00a0Rural came out on top for all age groups except for 18-29 year olds. With the 18-29 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":13720,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,3,8,36,20],"tags":[606,160,96,399,157,605,626],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Zoom-Towns-rect-6.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13692"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13692"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13692\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15043,"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13692\/revisions\/15043"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smallbizsurvival.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}