Building a better community with home grown resources.
"How do we create a better Emporia?" When citizens engage in discussions with community groups, that question is on everyone's mind. Aesthetics, quality of life, activities, the tax base, schools and a variety of other issues are always discussed, but the conversation generally narrows to one specific topic: jobs. How do we create jobs? How do we encourage job growth? How do we produce better jobs? How can we develop the types of jobs that retain our youth, encourage our community alumni to move home and build a sustainable local economy?
As different community entities pondered the answers to those questions, three groups: Flint Hills Technical College, the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Emporia State University and Emporia Main Street joined forces to tackle the jobs issue in the community. As we researched different ways to improve the local job market, a few things became abundantly clear.
In the United States, 99.7% of all firms are classified as "small businesses." Small businesses represent the vast majority of all net new jobs created in the United States, and our entrepreneurs lead the way in new products, services, entertainment and other business types necessary for our economy to survive and thrive. Locally, when people talk about the "good old days", they are typically referring to a time period when a higher percentage of our businesses were locally owned, and our entrepreneurs grew great jobs here at home, but at some point we moved away from the "grow your own business" model and became more dependent on other types of entities. The first step to combat small business and entrepreneurial job loss is education designed to provide entrepreneurs the training and resources they need to compete in today's market place. Through the recognition of these facts, the Start Your Own Business partnership was born.
Now in its sixth year, the Start Your Own Business (SYOB) class represents a tremendous success for the Emporia community. While nationally small businesses (and large businesses) sometimes struggle in a fast paced economy, only one of the seventeen businesses started after taking the Start Your Own Business Class closed for business related reasons. A few of the class graduates have actually grown businesses and sold them to pursue new entrepreneurial activities, becoming what are known as "serial entrepreneurs" in economic development circles. We have seen entrepreneurs like Michele Boyce of Studio 11 utilize the SYOB class to create a small business that resulted in rapid expansion. We have entrepreneurs like Tony Hines of the Furniture Loft that contemplated one business type, but then changed courses after learning information in the SYOB class to create a more substantial business model. For these entrepreneurs and many more, the Start Your Own Business class improved their learning curve and helped create a more successful business enterprise by exposing them to an effective curriculum.
Starting February 14th, students in the Start Your Own Business Class will participate in ten different class sessions and a simulated "sales pitch" to facilitate their business development. Classes include:
-Deciding on a Business & the Business Plan
-Understanding the Regional Market & Market Research
-Business Tools Organizational Structure & Insurance
-Location & Leasing, Licenses, Permits & Zoning
-Basic Accounting, Taxes & Financial Statements
-Cash Flow & How to Finance a Business
-Buying an Existing Business or Franchise, Business Expansion & Handling Problems
-E-Commerce, E-Marketing & Marketing for Small Business
-Employer/Employee Relations, Daily Operations & Business Processes
-Local Resources & Civic Opportunities
Co-Instructors for the Start Your Own Business Class include: Mary Helmer of the Kansas Department of Commerce, Lisa Brumbaugh of the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Emporia State University, and Rob Gilligan who recently completed his term as President of Emporia Main Street. In addition to these fine instructors, students are exposed to members of the local business community that possess extensive knowledge in each of the class areas listed above. This process is designed to give students real world examples and valuable contacts to develop a business concept after the conclusion of the Start Your Own Business Class.
Classes start February 14th and take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on the Flint Hills Technical College Main Campus. The Start Your Own Business Class qualifies for two credit hours and tuition and fees for the class equal $238. Graduates of the Start Your Own Business Class may qualify for financial incentives designed to help establish a business. Interested parties can enroll by calling (620) 341-1392 or e-mailing rroot@fhtc.edu. Additional class information can be found at www.emporiamainstreet.com .
Flint Hills Technical College, the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Emporia State University and Emporia Main Street, along with a plethora of community volunteers, are honored to volunteer our time and resources towards activities that create jobs, businesses and a better future for Emporia. If you dream of creating your own business, if you know someone that should become an entrepreneur, if you are an investor looking to support your local community, or if you are an existing business that could benefit from brushing up on a few areas, we encourage you to participate in the Start Your Own Business Course. Starting your own business requires a tremendous amount of hard work, creativity and dedication, but the SYOB class is there to help you through the process. Our partner organizations can help make your dream business a reality.
Our city's past, present and future can be told through the successes of our entrepreneurs. Join us in encouraging class enrollment by sharing the information within this article. Join us for an Emporia Main Street Mingle celebrating Start Your Own Business class graduation on March 15th at 6:00 p.m. in the Emporia Realty Group building at 608 Commercial Street in downtown Emporia. Support our current entrepreneurs by shopping at our many local businesses. We only improve as a community when we resolve to invest in ourselves, and our partners at Flint Hills Technical College, the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Emporia State University and Emporia Main Street appreciate the outpouring of community support that makes the Start Your Own Business Class possible.
