Johnson County Missouri EDC

JCEDC Offering Scholarship for “Entrepreneur or Bust” Business Camp

growjocomo — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:34:26 +0000

The Small Business Technology and Development Center will be hosting the “Entrepreneur or Bust” Business Camp this summer for middle and high school students. The camp dates are June 9-14 and June 23-28. (In order for the camp to occur there must be at least 18 students registered for each of the week summer sessions.)

The camp will be held on the University of Central Missouri campus. The camp registration is $375 and includes:

Meals (UCM residential dining hall)
Housing (UCM residential hall)
Entertainment (experience UCM’s entertainment facilities)
Camp materials (just bring your suitcase and yourself)
AND MUCH MORE!

To find out more specifics about the camp including activities, discussions and guest speakers please view the itinerary here.

Johnson County Economic Development Corporation is offering a $250 scholarship for one middle school student and a $250 scholarship for one high school student to help families pay for the camp. (Scholarships are reimbursable and will be paid after completion of the course.)

To register for “Entrepreneur or Bust” and apply for the JCEDC Scholarship follow these steps:

Step 1: Register for the “Entrepreneur or Bust” Business Camp

Registration may be completed by downloading the form here. Fill out the form completely and mail it, along with your payment of the camp fee ($100 Non-Refundable Deposit Required to Hold Your Spot at Camp – Camp Fee Must Be Paid in Full $375 By: June 5th, 2013), to the address below:

Small Business Technology Development Center

University of Central Missouri

Dockery Suite 102

Warrensburg, MO 64093

If you have any questions regarding camp or the camp registration process please contact Sheldon Smith, SBTDC by email.

Step 2: Apply for JCEDC Scholarship

To be considered for the JCEDC scholarship applicants must first complete Step 1. To apply for the JCEDC scholarship download an application here, complete and return to JCEDC via email to eichler@growjocomo.com. Scholarship applications are due by 5:00 p.m., Thursday, May 30th.

If you have any questions regarding the JCEDC sponsored scholarship for the camp please call 660.747.0244 or email.

Facebook for Business Course – June 4 & 11

growjocomo — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:58:06 +0000

How would you like the opportunity to learn how to use Facebook to best suit your business, reach the right audience for your business and turn them into customers, build relationships with your customers, reach new people and drive sales using Facebook?

The Small Business and Technology Development Center in partnership with the Holden Chamber of Commerce will be holding a Facebook for Business two part course on Tuesdays, June 4 & 11, 2013 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. This course will teach business owners and employees how to market, operate, optimize, and monetize their efforts on Facebook.

The course will be held at Holden Inc. 124 West 2nd Street, Holden, MO. The cost will be $79. It is asked that if an attendee does not have a Facebook page that they set one up before they arrive at 4:30 the first night.

To register:

Online: www.ucmo.edu/sbtdc

Email: sbtdc@ucmo.edu

Phone: (660)543-4402

Mail: SBTDC, Dockery, Suite 102, Warrensburg, MO 64093

Owners should plan for when they will retire

growjocomo — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:27:35 +0000

May 7, 2013

Warrensburg Daily Star Journal

Sue Sterling, Staff Writer

Warrensburg – Business owners tend to put off succession planning until the last minute, often with negative results, such as bankruptcy, consultant Marylou DeWald told attendees at a succession strategy session Tuesday.

The Business Development Task Force of the Johnson County Economic Development Corp. and the University of Central Missouri Small Business and Technology Development Center co-hosted the free seminar on "Continuing Traditions, Smart Succession Strategies," at the UCM Ed Elliott Union. To view the presentation please click here.

DeWald said several methods exist to insure a business will continue if the owner retires or something happens to the owner or key employees: The business could be passed on to children; employees may buy the business; one owner can buy out the others; or the business could be sold to an outside buyer.

If a business closes, DeWald said, the owner loses equity, the community loses part of the tax base and customers lose services.

Typically, she said, when one business closes, two or three support businesses also close.

DeWald said having life insurance on the owner or key employees in case of sudden death, disability or retirement – to ensure there is sufficient financing to handle transitional expenses – is important. She said life insurance often is used by another party to buy the business.

Buyers generally fall into two categories, she said: financial buyers, who want to maintain the business, and strategic buyers who want to change or sell the business.

"One of the biggest things you have to pay attention to is the fair value of the business," DeWald said, adding, "The valuations are typically much less than people think they are."

A rule-of-thumb scale can help owners develop a ballpark figure, she said. Valuation should be done annually.

Business owners should "begin with the end in mind," she said, and develop a plan for where they want the business to be in 10 or 20 years.

They also should analyze future requirements for products or services and adjust to changes in the marketplace.

Owners should "analyze the gaps" and do "strategic hiring" to "backfill" key positions, she said, and assess the skill levels of every worker to ferret out hidden talents.

She said some sales do not go through because the buyer "does not see enough depth in the labor pool."

"Who do you need to hire to make the business salable or transitionable?" she asked.

All stakeholders should be informed of the plan, she said, and progress tracked annually and adjustments made based on feedback from stakeholders.

"You have to pay attention to what's going on in the bigger picture … that could cause your business to no longer be relevant," she said.

DREAM Seminar held at Heroes

growjocomo — Wed, 15 May 2013 00:24:45 +0000

Historic Downtown Warrensburg – Approximately 30 Downtown Warrensburg business owners and interested community leaders participated in a free retail seminar Tuesday evening, May 14, at Heroes Banquet Room. The Seminar provided downtown retailers with branding, merchandising, display, storefront window, lighting and other "customer attention-grabbing" ideas.

The Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistance for Missouri (DREAM) initiative for Downtown Warrensburg offered the seminar presented by Sara Tetley, architect and retail design concepts specialist for PGAV, Inc.. Sara's presentation highlighted examples from her 20 years of experience in retail projects such as the Biltmore Mansion in Ashville N.C., the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and the Grand Canyon Visitors Center. The DREAM initative is designed to help small and mid-sized Missouri communities enhance access to existing state program for downtown revitalization and job creation.

Click here to download the presentation. The file is large and may take a few minutes to download depending on your computer speed.

For additional information about Warrensburg DREAM or the retail seminar, please contact Julie Turnipseed at Warrensburg Main Street Inc. (660) 429-3988.

Request for Proposals for the Johnson County Innovation District Study

growjocomo — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:03:28 +0000

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

JOHNSON COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (JCEDC) is requesting sealed proposals from interested and qualified engineering/planning consultants for the Johnson County Innovation District Study.

Proposals will be received in the JCEDC Office, 300 N. Holden Street, Suite 301, (located on the 3rd Floor of the Johnson County Courthouse) Warrensburg, Missouri 64093 until 4:00 p.m., local time, Wednesday, April 24, 2013.

To be considered, all interested consultants must request a copy of the Request for Proposals (RFP) and submit five (5) duplicate proposals of the required information and documents in one (1) sealed envelope, entitled clearly marked “JOHNSON COUNTY, MO INNOVATION DISTRICT STUDY- DO NOT OPEN" to be considered. Failure to follow all procedures will result in disqualification of the consultant from the RFP process. The respondent shall bear all costs associated with the preparation and submission of the response to the Request for Proposal.

The Johnson County Innovation District study is partially funded by an Economic Development Administration (EDA) Technical Assistance Grant (Award Number 05-06-05256). Grant requirements inherent in this technical assistance grant will be provided for consideration.

The general intent of the Innovation District study is to provide the region with a fact-based, market-driven “roadmap” for the effective and efficient identification and implementation of programs and practices specifically designed to enhance the environment to support and encourage new jobs and investment along Missouri 58 Highway, U.S. 50 Highway and, recently completed Missouri 13 Highway (East Loop) in Johnson County, Missouri.

JCEDC reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to terminate the process at any time, to waive any informalities or irregularities in any submittal, to award in whole or in part to one or more respondents or take any other such actions that may be deemed in the best interest of JCEDC.

Interested, qualified consultants may obtain a copy of the Request for Proposal by contacting JCEDC office at 660.747.0244 or via email at: eichler@growjocomo.com. Questions can be directed to Tracy E. Brantner, CEcD, at brantner@growjocomo.com

Gilbert Powers, President

JCEDC

Documents you will need to review:

Online Registration Connection: Continuing Traditions- Smart Succession Strategies

growjocomo — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:46:43 +0000

The JCEDC Business Development Task Force in Cooperation with the University of Central Missouri Small Business and Technology Development Center invite you to join us to learn about succession planning.

This free seminar will occur on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 from 1p.m. – 3p.m. at the University of Central Missouri in the Elliott Union, Room 237.

The event will be conducted by Dr. Marylou DeWald, DBA of Ottawa University. The seminar will focus on several key points critical to succession planning.

For more information including address, parking locations, discussion points, and registration just follow the link below.

Continuing Traditions- Smart Succession Strategies

Please mark your calendars and we look forward to seeing you!

A special thank-you to the sponsors by whom without this event was made possible!

Please take a moment to view a growing list of event sponsors for Continuing Traditions – Smart Succession Strategies.

Task forces provide EDC backbone

growjocomo — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:56:13 +0000

January 8, 2013

Warrensburg Daily Star Journal

Sue Sterling, Staff Writer

Warrensburg – Johnson County Economic Development Corp. accomplished goals in 2012, Executive Director Tracy Brantner said.

Task Forces, which “do the bulk of the work,” got into full swing, she said.

“It was the first full year we had the task forces up and running.”

Comprised of 65 “very capable individuals” with expertise in diverse areas, the task forces “are helping move economic development forward,” Brantner said.

“I feel really good about what we accomplished last year.”

The EDC’s four task forces are: Business Development; Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Infrastructure and Development; and Partnership.

Business Development, focusing on business retention and expansion, met with 11 of the 15 major county employers to discuss wants, needs, and concerns, and to explain how the EDC can help.

Brantner said the task force will complete the visits this year. Data will be compiled into a general database to compare with data from other Midwestern states.

She said the organization “changed how we did counts” of businesses in 2012, splitting primary and non-primary, and redefining large and small businesses.

“We helped six new clients,” she said, resulting in two new investments in Johnson County.

Infrastructure and Development focused primarily on supporting Warrensburg retail recruitment, Brantner said.

“We did a lot of data analysis,” she said, and developed marketing materials for trade shows.

Members and city leaders visited other cities to learn “best practices” in retail recruitment.

“We’re transitioning the city into taking the lead in retail recruitment,” she said. The task force serves and “the supporting agency” for city recruiting.

The top priority for the task force in 2013 is to develop a mentoring program for new entrepreneurs, Brantner said. Another priority will be marketing sites and buildings to prospective businesses, she said, adding 29 buildings are commercial sites

that can be matched with entrepreneurs.

The task force aided 12 new clients representing startups or existing small businesses, she said.

“The goal was 10.”

Efforts resulted in three new businesses in Warrensburg, she said.

Other goals include marketing the Micro Loan Program and helping new entrepreneurs obtain licenses to the Monocle program, a Web-based financial planning system for businesses.

“Last year we did a lot of work upgrading Location One,” Brantner said, “to make sure every possible building and site was on the Web site.”

The free service matches business opportunities to properties, she said. The EDC works with brokers county-wide to ensure accurate information, she said.

The Infrastructure and Development Task Force’s top goal remains implementing the Johnson County Innovation District corridor study. EDC received a $110,400 Economic Development Administration grant in July to study the proposed district, from Highway 58 east to the new Highway 13 East Loop.

Brantner said she will prepare requests for proposals for the study, which will be a “road map” for business development; review conditions, businesses and infrastructure along the 9.75 mile-long corridor; and identify assets to generate jobs and business development.

In 2012, the task force’s Certified Sites subcommittee picked Holden Business Park to become the county’s first certified economic development site. She said the subcommittee will continue work to obtain the state designation this year.

The EDC participates in the Missouri ExCEED “Strategic Doing” pilot project. Staff recommends a focus on an enhanced enterprise zone to offer state tax credits, accompanied by a local property tax abatement, to new or expanded businesses, or replacement businesses that create at least two new jobs and $100, 000 in new investment.

EDC will continue to administer the UCM innovation campus grant, she said.

The EDC will continue to lead the Central Missouri Economic Development Alliance to develop regional leads for new business prospects, Brantner said.

“Every year we have 25 leads for primary employers,” she said.

The goal is to generate five prospects, leading to two follow-up visits and one new investment.

In 2012, she said, EDC had 28 regional leads and five locally generated leads for a total of 33, with five eligible for follow-up, or 15 percent.

“We have to continue to work on our product,” she said, to entice interest.

Four known visits lead to one new county investment.

“We met our goal – barely,” Brantner said.

The corridor study is needed to better understand what the product should be, she said.

A goal to increase the operating budget through private investment resulted in one new investor, she said.

The Partnership Task Force will continue to increase stakeholder involvement in the EDC in 2013.

Protected: City of Warrensburg’s Proposed Innovative Financing Tools Policy and Applications

growjocomo — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:29:19 +0000

EDC Chooses New Leaders

growjocomo — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:56:00 +0000

December 7, 2012 The Daily Star Journal Sue Sterling, Staff Writer

Warrensburg – The Johnson County Economic Development Corp. elected 2013 officers and directors at the annual meeting at the Johnson County Courthouse.

Gilbert Powers is president, Richard Lloyd, vice president; Bill Gabel, secretary, Andy Kohl, treasurer; Jerry Ellis and Nancy Kenepp won re-election to three-year terms as directors; and Travis Fleming will serve an unexpired, two-year term, replacing Roger Houk, who resigned due to health reasons.

EDC Highlights Year’s Progress

growjocomo — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:35:13 +0000

December 7, 2012 Warrensburg Daily Star Journal Sue Sterling, Staff Writer

Warrensburg – Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Tracy Brantner highlighted 2012 EDC accomplishments during the annual board meeting at the County Courthouse.

The Business Development Task Force completed 11 of 15 planned visits to area employers, she said, with the remainder carried over to 2013.

The task force helped retention and expansion for six employers, resulting in two new investments. The task force continues to work with two, and two others are “on hold,” Brantner said Wednesday.

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Task Force made visits to Blue Springs and Independence to “learn best practices,” sent representatives to retail conferences in Omaha and Chicago; and planned a Warrensburg Retail Recruitment plan under the leadership of Cathy Cox.

The EDC completed marketing flyers for 29 buildings and 18 sites; provided help to 12 startup clients and 14 clients at existing enterprises; and distributed 15 microloan applications.

The Web site had 1,598 visits comprised of 63 percent new visitors and 37 percent return visitors.

Johnson County received 33 investment leads, with 28 regional leads coming through the Central Missouri Economic Development Alliance. Five leads originated locally. Overall, the leads resulted in one new investment and three still in process.

EDC and the Infrastructure and Development Task Force secured a $110,400 matching grant from the Economic Development Agency to fund the Johnson County Innovation District corridor study and selected the Holden Business Park as the first site to submit for a Missouri Certified Site designation.

EDC also helped the University of Central Missouri complete an application for a $1.5 million Community Development Block Grant, and helped Warrensburg develop marketing materials.