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Small Business Growth

Young People Are Relocating to Rural Areas. Here’s Where They’re Moving. [Video]

America’s younger workers don’t want to be city slickers anymore. Instead, they’re heading to rural areas.

Communities with under 250,000 residents have seen a growing influx of Gen Z and millennial movers. About 63% of counties classified as rural or in small metros had increases in this age demographic between 2020 and 2023 — compared to 27% between 2010 and 2013, based on an analysis by Hamilton Lombard, a demographer at the University of Virginia.

In particular, young people are flocking to rural communities in the Colorado Rockies, Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, and Montana’s lakes, drawn by new work opportunities and the appeal of living surrounded by nature, Lombard’s analysis showed.

This map shows the percentage change in every US county for those aged 25 to 24 between 2020 and 2023. Many of the biggest gainers are rural and exurban areas in the South and Mountain West.

The top 10 counties with the …

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Small Business Growth

With new businesses opening, South Burlington poised for exciting new chapter [Video]

For decades, South Burlington has dreamed of creating a vibrant downtown hub that would bring people together and foster economic growth. Now, with new projects underway and businesses opening, that vision is beginning to take shape."We're just really excited that we're part of this community," said Tom King, the franchise owner of Jersey Mike's in South Burlington.Jersey Mike's recently celebrated the grand opening of its second-ever location in Vermont, marking a significant milestone in the city's evolving downtown scene. This new restaurant, alongside others like Bliss Bee on Market Street, signals a shift toward a livelier city scene.Ilona Blanchard, South Burlingtons Community Development Director, shared her excitement about the ongoing transformation.Weve been working toward a new downtown since the 1970s, Blanchard said. The citys leaders and community members have long been dedicated to making this dream a reality, and they are now seeing that vision come to life.Blanchard emphasized the hard work of local officials, committees, and public participants who have contributed to this long-awaited development."The development aims to attract not only new businesses but also to improve the overall sense of community. Its incredible to watch it come to life, Blanchard said, reflecting on the progress made so far.These new businesses are not just creating jobs; they are also redefining the identity of South Burlington.The resulting new businesses coming in and the new apartments, people know where South Burlington is, and thats a big change from 10 years ago, Blanchard said.One of the city's most anticipated upcoming projects is a major biking and walking bridge connecting South Burlington to Burlington at Exit 14 of Interstate 89. Blanchard said she is optimistic that the bridge will strengthen ties between the cities.We think this will really help to link our downtown to Burlington and then our whole corridor for biking and walking, she said.With these changes already underway, South Burlington is poised for continued growth. The city is preparing for even bigger projects in the near future, and its leaders said they are hopeful that these developments will continue to improve the city's overall quality of life.

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Small Business Growth

Yen as a hedge against volatility: Nikko Asset Management [Video]

Naomi Fink, Chief Global Strategist at Nikko Asset Management, says she is positive on Japan, citing structural reforms and its recovery from deflation as key drivers of growth. She advises investors to allocate a proportion of their portfolio to the yen as a safe-haven currency to hedge against risk-off periods