SMALL NATION

What SMALL NATION does

Small Nation, founded in 2011 by Jason Duff in Bellefontaine, Ohio, is a small-town economic development company that develops places, spaces, and dreams for small towns and small-town entrepreneurs through an integrated operating model the firm calls the 'Hustle Hard Approach.' The company buys and renovates historic downtown buildings (56+ in Bellefontaine alone), recruits and equity-partners with local entrepreneurs, provides financing, and offers design, marketing, and brand development services. It operates a portfolio of wholly owned or partner-owned operating businesses that support this thesis: COMSTOR Outdoor (400+ billboard faces in Ohio and Indiana), BUILD Cowork + Space (coworking in Bellefontaine and Marysville), Community Storage & Properties, and a collection of restaurants and event venues (Six Hundred Downtown, Brewfontaine, Iron City Sports Bar, Bella Vino, The Syndicate, The Luminary, The Maxwell). Headcount is 11-50, the company is privately held and self-funded, and there is no disclosed institutional investment.

The company's technology stack is intentionally lightweight and centered on three digital assets: the Hometown Opportunity workforce/job board platform (licensed as a perpetual, customizable one-time-fee SaaS to counties and municipalities, with mobile app, email alerts, and student module, currently deployed in five regions including Eastern Indiana); the Small B*School online training center with a year-long Small Town Mastermind Group; and the company's podcast (105+ episodes) and content library. Beyond these, the business is a physical-asset and relationship-intensive operation rather than a software company — there is no API, no AI/ML features disclosed, and no proprietary data flywheel.

Revenue is generated across several streams: commercial and residential property leasing (22+ commercial spaces at $650-$1,850/month and 3+ residential units at $750-$1,700/month), billboard advertising sales through COMSTOR Outdoor, one-time licensing fees for Hometown Opportunity, recurring coworking subscriptions (BUILD desks from $300/month, private offices from $800-$1,250/month, suite rentals at $3,000/month), food and beverage / event revenue from the restaurant and venue portfolio, and subscription/mastermind fees for Small B*School and consulting engagements. Customers include municipalities and counties (licensing), small-town entrepreneurs (tenants, equity partners, mastermind members), SMB and enterprise advertisers (COMSTOR), local workforce organizations and employers (Hometown Opportunity case studies cite Ferguson Enterprises, Mercer Health, Celina High School, and Tru-Edge Grinding), and event customers across Ohio and Indiana. Distribution is largely direct: website-driven leasing applications, field sales for billboards, and live events (Hustle Hard Learning Sessions, NREDA co-hosted summits, tours of Bellefontaine, the annual Growth Conference) supplemented by national thought leadership via Forbes, Inc., Fortune, Time, and the Small Nation Podcast.

Name

SMALL NATION

Legal name

Small Nation, LTD

Website

https://smallnationstrong.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Small Nation, founded in 2011 in Bellefontaine, Ohio, revitalizes small towns through an integrated 'Hustle Hard Approach' combining real estate investment, business incubation, outdoor advertising (400+ billboards), coworking, workforce platform licensing, and consulting/training services for municipalities and entrepreneurs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small-Town Economic Development & Revitalization Services

NAICS

Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings (except Miniwarehouses) (531120), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622), New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236115)

SIC

Real Estate Dealers (For Their Own Account) (6532), Operative Builders (1531)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM), Residential Land Development & Subdivision Homebuilding (Build-to-Sell Communities) (IMAFABAL), Transitional/Development Land Brokerage (Entitled, In-Path-of-Growth) (BPAJADAJ)

Keywords

• Small town revitalization
• Economic development consulting
• Historic building renovation
• Coworking office space
• Outdoor billboard advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellefontaine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Property Management & Leasing: Small Nation owns, renovates, and leases both commercial and residential properties in small-town Ohio markets. Revenue is generated through commercial tenant rents (offices, retail spaces, coworking desks) and residential apartment leases. They list 22+ commercial properties and 3+ residential units across Bellefontaine and Marysville, Ohio.
2. COMSTOR Outdoor Advertising: COMSTOR Outdoor, a Small Nation company, operates 400+ billboard faces across Ohio and Indiana. Revenue is generated by selling outdoor advertising space to local and regional businesses, supporting both the billboards' own customers and the marketing needs of Small Nation's development projects.
3. Hometown Opportunity Licensing: One-time licensing fee for the Hometown Opportunity workforce platform. Counties, municipalities, and regional areas purchase a perpetual license to deploy and brand the platform within their region. Includes customization by Small Nation's team. No ongoing licensing charges after initial purchase.
4. Restaurant & Hospitality Ventures: Small Nation and its principals are equity partners in multiple restaurant and event venue concepts in Bellefontaine, Ohio including Six Hundred Downtown (pizzeria, featured on Food Network twice), Brewfontaine (craft beer bar, voted #1 in Ohio multiple years), Iron City Sports Bar, Bella Vino Events & Wine Room, and The Syndicate (upscale dining and events). Revenue from food, beverage, and event sales.
5. Community Storage & Properties: Community Storage & Properties, a Small Nation company founded by Jason Duff, provides self-storage services and served as the initial capital vehicle for reinvesting in Bellefontaine's redevelopment.
6. Small B*School Training Programs: Online training center offering downloadable lessons, videos, workshops, and coaching sessions for small businesses and towns. Includes the Small Town Mastermind Group — a year-long program meeting quarterly with the Small Nation team, designed for municipalities and small-town developers. Revenue from program membership fees.
7. Mastermind/Consulting Services: Small Nation offers consulting and mastermind group programs where municipalities, small-town developers, and entrepreneurs pay to receive direct mentorship, strategy sessions, and access to the Small Nation team's expertise in revitalization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Small Nation develops places, spaces and dreams for small towns and small-town entrepreneurs through an integrated "Hustle Hard Approach": it acquires and renovates historic commercial and residential buildings, recruits and equity-partners with tenants, provides financing and design/marketing support, and runs a portfolio of operating businesses (restaurants, coworking, outdoor advertising, self-storage). It also licenses a proprietary Hometown Opportunity workforce/job-board platform to counties and municipalities and teaches its methodology via Small B*School and a Small Town Mastermind Group.

Product overview

Small Nation is a small town economic development company operating as a platform-plus-multiple-sub-brands model. The core company provides the 'Hustle Hard Approach' methodology for downtown revitalization through historic building renovation, tenant recruitment, equity partnerships, financing, and business mentorship. Key sub-brands include COMSTOR Outdoor (billboard advertising with 400+ locations), Hometown Opportunity (workforce/job board platform for licensing), Small B* School (online training center with Mastermind Group), BUILD Cowork + Space (coworking facilities), and various restaurant/event venue partnerships including Six Hundred Downtown, Brewfontaine, The Syndicate, Bella Vino Events & Wine Room, The Luminary Event Space, and The Maxwell. The company also manages residential and commercial property portfolios for leasing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hometown Opportunity Workforce Platform Web-based workforce development and job board platform licensed to counties, municipalities and regional organizations. Connects local job seekers with local employers via company profiles, job listings, resume database, student career modules and a mobile app; clients own and brand the platform under a perpetual license with no recurring fees.
• COMSTOR Outdoor Billboard Advertising Outdoor billboard advertising service operating 400+ billboard faces across Ohio and Indiana, sold by direct sales team to local and regional small businesses for brand awareness and promotion. Mike Hibner manages day-to-day operations, with regional sales representatives Tyler Thurlow and Nick Bozman covering accounts.
• Community Storage & Properties Self-storage and properties management company that provided the initial seed capital to reinvest in Bellefontaine's downtown redevelopment; continues to operate community storage and related rental properties in the Bellefontaine market.
• BUILD Cowork + Space Coworking and office space offering private offices, dedicated desks and meeting rooms in Bellefontaine (139 W Columbus Ave) and Marysville (129 N. Main St), Ohio. Dedicated desks from $300/month, private offices $800-$1,250/month, multi-office suites $3,000/month; managed by Bo Alexander (Bellefontaine) and Brianna Lewis (Marysville / The Luminary).
• Small B*School Online Training & Mastermind Group Online training center and Small Town Mastermind Group teaching Small Nation's codified Hustle Hard Approach to small-town revitalization. Delivered via downloadable lessons, videos, workshops, coaching and a year-long quarterly cohort program for municipalities, small-town developers and entrepreneurs; pricing not publicly disclosed and sold via direct inquiry.
• The Syndicate Restaurant & Event Venue 200-300 seat upscale dining, catering and events center in downtown Bellefontaine with a steak/seafood menu, weekend brunch and a Beer Garden with live music stage. Operated as a Small Nation partnership/co-ownership venue.
• Six Hundred Downtown Brick Oven Pizzeria World-renowned brick-oven pizzeria and anchor restaurant for Bellefontaine's downtown, founded by a world pizza champion, featured on Food Network twice and recognized by President Trump at a July 2018 White House Rose Garden reception. Operated as a Small Nation partnership.
• Brewfontaine Craft Beer Bar Award-winning craft beer bar voted #1 Craft Beer Bar in Ohio by the Craft Beer Association for 4+ consecutive years; co-owned by Adam Rammel and operated as a Small Nation partnership.
• Iron City Sports Bar 150-seat local sports bar and restaurant created from scratch, branded and promoted through Small Nation's Hustle Hard approach; profitable within first 10 months. Co-founded by Matt Brown.
• Bella Vino Events & Wine Room Event venue offering wine room and event space for weddings and community gatherings in downtown Bellefontaine; operates as a Small Nation partnership.
• The Luminary Event Space Premier event space in Marysville, Ohio, operated by BUILD Cowork + Space; used for community gatherings, weddings and corporate events. Managed by Assistant Community Manager Brianna Lewis.
• The Maxwell Historic Event Venue Historic event venue converted from Grace AME Church into a wedding and event space in Bellefontaine; operated as a Small Nation hospitality venue.
• Commercial Property Leasing Portfolio Portfolio of commercial spaces (offices, retail suites, warehouse/industrial and land) for direct lease across Bellefontaine and Marysville, Ohio, including BUILD Cowork + Space locations; commercial lease rates range from $650/month (small retail suite) to $1,850/month (office building). Listed and leased through the Small Nation website with inquiry forms and a rental application.
• Residential Apartment Leasing Portfolio Residential loft apartments and duplex units for rent in renovated historic buildings in downtown Bellefontaine; rates from $750/month (1BR/1BA) to $1,699.50/month (3BR/2BA) on 1-year lease terms, listed through the Small Nation website with rental application links.
• Small Nation Podcast Podcast series (105+ episodes) covering small-town development, entrepreneurship and community building, featuring community leaders, mayors and small-town entrepreneurs as guests; distributed via Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and Vimeo. Hosted by Ethan DeLeon.

Quantifiable outcome

• $30M+ investment generated in Bellefontaine with 56+ renovated historic buildings, 60+ new businesses, and 180+ new jobs in a town of ~14,000 residents over approximately 10 years
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• One ColumbuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026One Columbus collaborated with Small Nation at the NREDA Regional Event, contributing to sessions alongside JobsOhio, Union County Chamber of Commerce, Logan County Chamber of Commerce, and other organizations committed to strengthening rural communities.
• Union County Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnered with Small Nation at the NREDA Regional Event in Marysville, Ohio. Contributed to collaborative sessions on rural economic development strategies.
• Logan County Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnered with Small Nation at the NREDA Regional Event hosted in Downtown Bellefontaine. Contributed to the immersive tour and expert-led sessions on rural economic development.
• National Rural Economic Developers Association (NREDA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Small Nation co-hosted the NREDA Regional Event (June 16-17, 2026) in Marysville and Bellefontaine, Ohio. The event brought together ~40 rural economic development professionals across the country for learning, collaboration, and community revitalization strategies.
• Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Small Nation is hosting the GOPC Reinvention Cities Network quarterly gathering on August 19, 2026, in Bellefontaine, Ohio. The event brings together community leaders, economic development professionals, and planners.
• Ohio Economic Development Association (OEDA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Small Nation team members attend and participate in the OEDA Annual Summit (October 2026), connecting with economic development professionals across Ohio.
• Thrive Community PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Thrive Community Partners (co-founded by Sarah Stephens Krupp and Renee Smith) collaborates with Small Nation on rural community development, specializing in helping communities secure grant funding, revitalize downtowns, support entrepreneurs, and build long-term economic momentum. Featured on the Small Nation Podcast (Episode 105).
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce (Small Business Council)minorOthersJason Duff is a member of the Small Business Council for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, representing small-town perspectives in national small business policy discussions.
• Small Business & Entrepreneurship CouncilminorOthersJason Duff is a member of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, contributing to advocacy for small business interests at the national level.
• Ohio Northern University (Board of Trustees)minorOthersJason Duff serves on the Board of Trustees at Ohio Northern University. Multiple Small Nation team members are alumni of Ohio Northern University.
• Downtown Bellefontaine PartnershipminorOthersSmall Nation team members (Matt Brown, Zach Weber) are active members of the Downtown Bellefontaine Partnership, collaborating on downtown development initiatives in their home market.
• Hardin County Chamber & Business Alliance BoardminorOthersMatt Brown serves on the Hardin County Chamber & Business Alliance Board of Directors, extending Small Nation's community development involvement beyond Bellefontaine.
• Holland Theatre BoardminorOthersAdam Rammel is a member of the Holland Theatre Board of Directors, contributing to arts and culture development in the Bellefontaine community.
• Logan County Young ProfessionalsminorOthersZach Weber is an active member of the Logan County Young Professionals organization, contributing to next-generation leadership development in the region.
• Symposiarchs of AmericaminorOthersZach Weber is an active member of the Symposiarchs of America, a professional organization.
• Trusted Business Partners (Various)minorOthersSmall Nation's newsletters list trusted business partners including: Level MB Construction (construction), Boldman Printing (printing), Quest Federal Credit Union (financial), Best Door & Window (building materials), Kingsview Partners – Colton Lowry (real estate), Revival Design Collective (design), Edward Jones – Laura Duncil (financial), Hess Lumber (building materials), Peak One Restorations (restoration), CoverLink Insurance (insurance), Bell Hankins Realty Group (real estate).
• Ada Ohio Properties, Ltd.minorOthersMatt Brown and his wife founded Ada Ohio Properties, Ltd. in 2013, providing multi-unit off-campus housing for Ohio Northern University students. Related venture to Matt's role at Small Nation.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Main Street America: National nonprofit focused on downtown and commercial district revitalization across small and mid-sized US towns. Operates the Main Street Approach methodology and a national network of local programs — directly comparable to Small Nation's Hustle Hard Approach in target market, methodology structure, and customer base (municipalities and small-town stakeholders).
• Thrive Community Partners: Ohio-based rural community development firm co-founded by Sarah Stephens Krupp and Renee Smith that helps small towns secure grant funding, revitalize downtowns, and support entrepreneurs — directly comparable to Small Nation's core consulting/revitalization offering and a documented Small Nation partner (Episode 105 of Small Nation Podcast).

Emerging players

• Edward Lowe Foundation: Nonprofit focused on entrepreneurship development in small communities through Big Idea events, eCenter networks, and Big Thanks celebrations. Comparable mission and customer base (small-town entrepreneurs and economic developers) though operating via nonprofit funding rather than integrated real estate investment.
• Patronicity: Crowdfunding platform that pairs local government matching funds with community placemaking projects (parks, downtown improvements, public art). Comparable in bridging civic/municipal funding with small-town revitalization, though focused on capital-raising rather than direct real estate development.

Broad incumbents

• Lamar Advertising Company: One of the largest outdoor advertising companies in North America with 360,000+ displays across the US. Directly comparable to Small Nation's COMSTOR Outdoor subsidiary in offering, though operates at vastly greater scale and a national footprint versus COMSTOR's Ohio/Indiana focus.
• Outfront Media: Major US outdoor advertising company operating across billboards, transit, and place-based media. Directly comparable to COMSTOR Outdoor's billboard advertising business, though at much larger national scale and as part of a broader media portfolio.
• Industrious: Premium flexible workspace and coworking operator with locations across the US. Directly comparable to Small Nation's BUILD Cowork + Space offering in product category, though targets larger urban markets and operates at significantly greater scale.

Regional players

• Adams Outdoor Advertising: Regional outdoor advertising operator with billboard faces across the Midwest and Southeast. Comparable in scale and regional focus to COMSTOR Outdoor's 400+ Ohio/Indiana billboard network, though without Small Nation's integrated small-town development thesis.

Others

• Mark P. Fisher / Fisher Strategic Development: Independent small-town revitalization consulting practitioners who advise municipalities on downtown redevelopment strategy. Adjacent to Small Nation's consulting/mastermind offering but without Small Nation's integrated capital investment, real estate ownership, or sub-brand platform approach.
• Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) — e.g., Rural Community Assistance Corporation: Nonprofit financial institutions serving rural communities with capital, technical assistance, and development services. Comparable customer base (rural/small-town stakeholders) and partial overlap in financing role, though focused on capital provision rather than physical redevelopment and tenant recruitment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/snstrong
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-Ash2PUY2dYyZtGZ5PlYow
• Facebookfacebook.com/smallnationstrong
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smallnation
• Instagraminstagram.com/smallnationstrong

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SMALL NATION