My flight to London had barely lifted off when my seatmate and I began to chat.

I soon learned that the handsome man seated next to me was a former art teacher who reinvented his life and is now a full-time painter. Since English landscapes are his specialty, he was a frequent flyer to England.

His reinvention had included moving from the Twin Cities of Minnesota to a small town south of there. “I just love it, “ he said. “It’s so quiet. I go to my studio and paint to my heart’s content.”

Not long after, I found myself seated next to another small town enthusiast on a flight to Dallas. This man was a former pilot who had just become a flight training instructor.

But he was most excited about the little bed and breakfast inn he and his wife owned in a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania. It was their second such venture and he regaled me with stories about his life as an innkeeper.

The dream of living and working a bit off the beaten path is no longer out of the question. Long neglected by a mobile population that rushed to cities seeking their fortune, small towns are being rediscovered and reinvented by a new wave of entrepreneurial spirits.

While small town living isn’t for everyone, relocating to smaller places is becoming increasingly popular. The entrepreneurial revolution is partially responsible. Thanks to technology, it’s now possible to do all sorts of work in the most remote locations.

Even those of us who choose to remain within large cities are becoming more like villagers, carving out our personal small space within larger city limits. More walking and talking to each other are the visible characteristics of these big city villagers.

So is reclaiming neglected property and neighborhoods. Obviously, more of us are taking action to transform existing places into good human habitats.

If you’re dreaming about becoming an entrepreneurial villager, decide if you want to create a local business that serves your community or if you want to serve a clientele unlimited by geography. Either kind of business is possible in the new world of cottage industries.

Since today’s cottage is apt to be an electronic one, small towns are becoming home to an endless array of enterprises that would have been unthinkable even a decade ago.

If small town living appeals to you, make your own opportunities in a place that you love. As Jack Lessigner advises, “Build something, help something, save something. The possibilities are endless.”

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Becky McCray’s Small Biz Survival Web site is loaded with tips and information for entrepreneurial villagers.