For many years, developers have placed near total reliance on increased productivity in agriculture, greater exploitation of natural resources, and the addition of new manufacturing industries as strategies for community economic development in nonmetropolitan areas. The concentration on expanding goods producing industries is unnecessarily narrow. Other viable community economic development alternatives are available and should be considered. Before initiating community economic development strategy, a careful analysis of the unique needs, resource availability, market conditions, and the needs of goals of the community's citizens should be made. These factors are the base upon which development policy must be built. Community policy options that can then be considered are: (1) attracting new basic employers from the nonmanufacturing sector; (2) improving the efficiency of existing firms; (3) encouraging the formation of new businesses; (4) improving the ability to capture more of the existing income; and (5) increasing aid received from broader governmental levels. This paper examines these alternatives and discusses different kinds of options policy holders may utilize to implement each of them. (Author/DS)