RCAN - Supporting Rural Business

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RCAN - Supporting Rural Business

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Free support for rural businesses across the East Midlands. Marketing ideas, grant funding alerts, micro training & a community that gets rural life.

Backed by 100 years of RCAN. Join our free group 👇

05/10/2026

🚜 Are you running a rural business? We want to hear from you.

We’ve just launched a new Business Crime Check-In inside our rural business Facebook group, looking at the experiences of businesses when it comes to crime, reporting and feeling safe in their local area.

We’re asking a few quick questions over the coming days to help build a clearer picture of what rural businesses are actually experiencing — including incidents that may never make it into official crime figures.

If you run a rural business, this is a chance to:

👉 share your experience
👉 help highlight the issues affecting businesses like yours
👉 tell us what would help you feel safer and better supported
👉 be part of a growing network of rural businesses

The questions only take a few seconds to answer, but the more businesses that take part, the more useful the picture becomes.

Join the group today and have your say.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rcanruralbusinesssupport

And if you know another rural business owner who should be involved, please tag them or share this post with them.

30/09/2026

A loaf from the village bakery. Vegetables grown a few miles away. Breakfast made with produce from a nearby farm.
British Food Fortnight is in full swing, making this a useful moment to share the people and places behind the food your business sells or serves.
Try one of these ideas:
💡 Introduce a producer you buy from and explain what you value about their work.
🥦 Show how a seasonal ingredient becomes a finished product or dish.
🥘 Share a simple recipe using something you stock.
⍰ Ask a supplier whether they would like to create a post together.
Run a B&B or a visitor attraction? You could share a short guide to nearby farm shops, cafés and food producers.
Be specific about where things come from. A real name, place and story gives people something to connect with.
Which local food business would you recommend to someone visiting your area?

21/09/2026

Stuck on what to post? Start with something a customer has already asked you.
Those everyday questions are useful content ideas because they tell you what people need to know before buying.
For example:
A tradesperson: “What information should I send when asking for a quote?”
A holiday cottage: “What can we do nearby if it rains?”
A maker: “How far ahead should I order something personalised?”
A farm shop: “What’s in season, and how could I use it?”
A service business: “What happens during the first appointment?”
Use this simple structure:
THE QUESTION → YOUR ANSWER → THE NEXT STEP
Add a relevant photograph and tell people how to enquire, book or find out more.
There’s no need to squeeze everything into one post. One clear answer is enough.
What question do customers ask you most often? It could be your next post.

17/09/2026

Your next customer might be nearby… but do they know you’re there?
When your business is down a country lane, based at home or serving several villages, clear information really matters.
Give your online presence a quick check today:
• Does your page explain what you do and which areas you cover?
• Are your opening hours and contact details correct?
• If customers visit you, are the directions and entrance easy to find?
• If you travel to customers, is your service area clear?
• Is it obvious how to book, buy or request a quote?
Try looking at your page as someone who has never heard of you. Could they work out the next step in ten seconds?
A photograph of your entrance, clear parking information or a simple “Here’s how to order” post could remove a real obstacle.
Save this checklist and tackle one update today.

10/09/2026

Running a rural business should not mean figuring everything out alone.
RCAN Rural Business Support is a free Facebook group for people running businesses in rural towns, villages and countryside settings across the East Midlands.
Inside you will find:
Practical marketing tips you can use straight away
Live grant funding opportunities as they open
Useful signposting towards funding, training and other support
A community of business owners who understand rural working life
It is carefully managed to be genuinely useful - not another group full of spam and constant self-promotion.
If you have been following this page and thinking 'these are my kind of people', come and join us.
Join the free group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rcanruralbusinesssupport

08/09/2026

East Midlands Rural Businesses 📣
Introduce your own business in the comments, or tag an independent rural business that deserves to be discovered.
Please include:
Business name
Village or town
What the business offers
One thing that makes it special

We are also looking for brilliant rural businesses to celebrate on this page. If your story catches our eye, we may contact you to ask whether you would like to be featured.

Let us see how much variety, creativity and enterprise exists across our rural communities.

01/09/2026

You do not need thousands of followers to build a strong local business.
A smaller group of people who live nearby, understand what you offer and remember you when they need it can be far more valuable than a large but disconnected audience.
Try this today:
Choose one type of customer you would most like to reach. Write down one question they often ask. Turn your answer into one useful post.
Clear and relevant beats clever and vague.
Who is the one customer you most want to reach this month?

28/08/2026

Funding opportunities can move quickly. A little preparation now can make the next application far less stressful.

Keep these five things together in one easy-to-find folder:
1. A 50-word summary of your business
2. A clear description of what the funding would help you do
3. The difference that project would make
4. Recent financial information and key business details
5. Any likely costs, quotations or timescales

Every fund has different rules, so always check the eligibility and guidance before applying. This preparation simply gives you a useful head start.
Inside our free RCAN Rural Business Support group, we share live funding opportunities and point members towards relevant support.
Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rcanruralbusinesssupport

26/08/2026

Can customers find you - and trust the information they see?

Set a timer for 10 minutes and look at your business as if you were a new customer:
✅ Search your exact business name on your phone.
✅ Check that your opening hours, phone number and website are correct.
✅ Look at the map pin and directions.
✅ Add one recent, recognisable photograph.
✅ Read your latest reviews and reply where appropriate.

For rural businesses, small details matter. If a customer is making a special journey, they need confidence that they can find you and that you will be open.
What is the one detail you need to update today?

17/08/2026

What is the hardest part of running your rural business right now?
A. Finding new customers
B. Staying visible online
C. Cash flow or finding funding
D. Finding enough time
E. Feeling isolated
F. Something else

Reply with a letter - or tell us more if you would like to.

We will use your answers to shape future practical posts and support, so this is your chance to tell us what would be genuinely useful.

Address

ARNOT Hill HOUSE
Arnold
NG56LU

Telephone

+441156975800

Website

http://www.rcan.org.uk/

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