My quest to find a little town to live in has taken me into some interesting research. I want a community that’s pleasant to live and work in without long commutes.
I’m always looking for opportunities to make and sell chocolate again but don’t want a full blown store I’m obligated to open. When researching event venues I was lucky to find a reasonable cost place where I might be able to hold chocolate workshops.
Researching a place is kind of fun. The more you find the more excited you get. Today I felt like I hit the jackpot as one search yield many more results to explore.
Facebook, and Instagram are two good places to start to look at a town.Some small business can’t afford websites but anyone can start and manage a free Facebook or Instagram account. If you have a visual business- food, photography, weddings, hair salon , artistic pursuit, Instagram is really perfect as its more about visuals. Facebook offers shopping links or the ability to book an activity. Simply type in the town(s) name you are interested in and related sites come up.
Sometimes Meetup.com will have activity groups in your area. These groups are everything from organized day trips to playing cards, dancing to business networking. Most groups on Meetup are for specific age groups which are usually stated.
These smaller towns don’t have Craigslist so I’m not quite sure how the local coconut wireless works. I’ve always lived somewhere with Craigslist so it’s a little disorienting. Some towns have a newsletter by email. Some have small, independent newspapers, or a bulletin board outside the local general store or nearest grocery. You have to hunt and ask locals how they get their news. Of course many towns are centered around their local school districts , so for people who have kids, this is probably a great resource.
A google search of area senior centers often gets good results and may also bring up learning opportunities for seniors, a good way to meet community and try something new. I recently took a class on making charcuterie boards. A glass of wine was included in the $25 fee and I met some nice entrepreneurial women. I tend to like food oriented activities so going to a local farmers market is also a good resource. You can learn about the farms and food culture in your local area.
Got a place in mind? How do you research an area?
