Challenges, Responses and Available Resources: Success in Rural Small Businesses‪.‬

Introduction Rural areas in many developed countries are undergoing structural change, particularly within the natural resource-based industries that tend to underpin these economies. These fundamental changes are contributing to a decline in jobs within rural communities and out-migration, as many residents leave for opportunities elsewhere. Consequently, communities, residents, governments, and other interested organizations are examining the potential of small businesses and entrepreneurship to create jobs and sustain these communities (Skuras et al., 2005).