May 2022 Newsletter
Friday at the Fountain
On Friday, April 29, we enjoyed the first Friday at the Fountain in downtown Liberal. Despite having to be postponed a week due to the wind, people still showed up and enjoyed the evening. I'd like to focus on a few takeaways from the event as the lead for this month's newsletter.
1. The Idea Friendly Method.
In community and economic development, the team at Saveyour.town encourages small events to gain momentum before attempting community-altering festivals. That was our goal for this event, and I'd like to think it was a success. We only had five components. The city prepared and launched its fountain, the county provided food and drinks, the farmer's market brought local vendors, county fire entertained the kids, and the historical society sparked conversation through its historic images on display. That's it. Could we have done more? Sure. But did people have a great time with what we had? Absolutely. If you have an idea for an event, don't wait. Find a few individuals or groups to help you organize it, and then make it happen.
2. Gratitude
Too often, we take for granted what our city and county do for us. While the list of services is long, this event showcased how much the two commissions as well as the staffs genuinely care about our city and our county. For several days leading up to the event, city staff prepared the plaza. This included planting flowers, constructing the fountain rings, and testing the new pump. The food was purchased and prepared by county employees and county commissioners who gave up their Friday evenings to spend it in service. County Commissioners Linenbroker, Helm, and Wettstein were all in attendance. Vice-Mayor Linenbroker and City Commissioner Ron Warren attended as well with Linenbroker having the honors of flipping the switch to start the water. He was flanked by city staff who have built and rebuilt the pump system over the years in order to make sure we get to enjoy this water--a luxury our town was founded on.
3. Changing the Narrative
The Development Corporation has its offices in the Landmark Building, so I've been spoiled by my proximity to the city fountain for years. It really is one of our greatest assets as a community, and this little event helped to change the narrative around town. The crowd that gathered was a snapshot of our community. Small children splashed in the water, retirees enjoyed the historic images, different ethnic groups and languages laughed and spoke together. In a world that loves to highlight the negative, this event provided a tangible example of what many of us have been feeling lately. Liberal and Seward County are gaining momentum. Great things are happening and more excitement is on the way.
*It's hard to gauge just exactly how many people attended. For a ballpark, the county cooked 240 hamburgers and 230 hotdogs. They made at least three store runs for more buns, chips, and water!
Local and Regional Businesses Attend Destination Bootcamp Workshop
More than 50 business owners and managers from southwest Kansas enjoyed Jon Schallert's Destination Business Workshop on April 27. Morton, Ford, Hodgeman, and Grant county businesses made the trip, while the majority of the crowd was comprised of local Liberal businesses.
Schallert began developing his Destination Business concepts when he worked with Hallmark and their Destination store model in the 1990s. Since then, he has worked with hundreds of communities across the country and thousands of businesses. His full Destination Business Bootcamp is a 2 1/2 workshop comprising 14 different modules including Strategic Vision, Unique Positioning, Financially Adept, Leadership Balance, Proactive Adaptability, Product Spotlighting, Employee Stakeholders, Multi-Level Customer Services, Integrated Marketing Savvy, Omnipresent Mentality, Legend Development, Interior & Exterior Image, Loyalty Validation, and CEOwner.
At our Liberal workshop, Schallert provided an introduction to several of the modules as well as examples of businesses that have utilized his program and the successes they've seen as a result. Aside from the workshop, Schallert made personal visits to several downtown businesses in Liberal.
To learn more about Schallert's Destination Business model, visit jonschallert.com. If you would be interested in attending his Destination Creation course taught by the Seward County Development Corporation, please contact them for more details. 620-604-5136.
New State Housing Development Resources
Since the beginning of the pandemic, our mantra has been that home has never been more important. Our achievements during this trying time reflect that focus:
- Our Statewide Housing Needs Assessment, the state's first comprehensive housing study in nearly 30 years, was released in December 2021, highlighting the need for more quality, affordable housing in all regions of the state.
- Our Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) Program has already disbursed more than $150 million to over 50,000 Kansas tenants facing eviction, making 7,000 landlords whole.
- Our Kansas Homeowner Assistance Fund (KHAF) Program launched just this month, providing assistance to Kansas homeowners who have fallen behind on mortgage and property tax payments.
State leaders heard the message loud and clear. Today, they're just steps away from finalizing historic investment in statewide housing development, including:
- $62 million for our Moderate Income Housing (MIH) Program and State Housing Trust Fund;
- Possible tax credit programs for both affordable and moderate income housing; and
- A rural home loan guarantee program.
Now it's time to formulate our plan for getting those resources into our communities. We hope you'll join us to learn more about our development programs and how the anticipated new resources will expand our offerings. We're also seeking your input on our proposed rules, processes, and timeline for awarding funds.Thursday, April 28, 2 p.m.: Civic Connection, 130 S. Main St., Minneola
- Friday, April 29, 10 a.m.: City Hall, 115 S. Walnut St., Stockton
- Monday, May 2, 1 p.m.: Prairie View Senior Residences, 200 Parkview Court, Holton
- Wednesday, May 4, 1 p.m.: Best Western, 202 W. 11th, Coffeyville
Can't join us for a regional in-person meeting? Register for one of our webinars:Monday, May 9, 2 - 3:30 | Audience: Kansas Cities and Counties | Register Now
- Tuesday, May 17, 1:30 - 3:00 | Audience: Housing Developers | Register Now
- Thursday, May 19, 11 - 12:30 | Audience: Housing Stakeholders | Register Now
8 Steps to Creating an Effective Advisory Board
By Jesse Torres June 16, 2014
Entrepreneurs learn quickly how lonely it is at the top. In many cases, the business owner is the sole employee when the venture is created. Then as the business grows, the entrepreneur hires staff. Regardless of the number of employees, size, structure or complexity of the organization, however, accountability for the company’s success rests mainly on the shoulders of the entrepreneur.
The best entrepreneurs use advisory boards with subject matter experts to fill gaps of knowledge. Advisory board members are not directors in the traditional sense: They do not serve a governance function or represent shareholders or other stakeholders. They simply provide advice to the entrepreneur about achieving current business goals.
At its most basic level, the advisory board is a sounding board for an entrepreneur. At its best, the board can provide expertise, guidance and business-development insight. In all cases, the advisory board furnishes the entrepreneur with a group of experts who can discuss opportunities, challenges and next steps.
The following are eight tips for creating an effective advisory board:
1. Have a purpose. An entrepreneur can use an advisory board to weather current challenges and opportunities. For example, a chef entrepreneur about to open a new restaurant may decide to form an advisory board to gain expertise in marketing, human resources and construction and design -- skills that a culinary type would not necessarily possess. In forming the advisory board, the entrepreneur should carefully consider his or her critical knowledge gaps so as to identify appropriate advisors.
2. Recruit doubters. No entrepreneur needs yes men disguised as advisory board members. The most ideal advisors have the entrepreneur’s best interests at heart. And so they are not afraid to give advice -- even if it contradicts the thinking of the entrepreneur. Because the feedback can be brutally honest, entrepreneurs may wish to avoid picking advisors who are close friends or family members.
Yet a business owner possessing strong, honest relationships with friends and family members may find such individuals can be valued advisors since they already have his or her best interest at heart and desire nothing but the venture's success -- even if this means having a disagreement.
Follow this link to read the rest of the article at Entrepreneur.com
Strickland Wins Regional Business Innovation Award
Michael Strickland received the "To The Stars" Kansas Department of Commerce Award for Innovation at the regional award ceremony held on April 5. The "To The Stars" awards have historically been given for business appreciation in several categories: Retail, Manufacturing and Distribution, Service, and Hospital/Nonprofit. This year, the department of commerce added two new categories: Under 30 Entrepreneur and Business Innovation.
Strickland won the regional award for Business Innovation through his work at MichaelStriclandImages. Prior to the pandemic, Strickland was a highly sought photographer and instructor for his unique style of printmaking and his ability to lead photography expeditions around the globe. When the pandemic halted travel, he focused on his printing making and has since developed innovate techniques that put him in a category all by himself.
It is exciting to have talent and skill like his in our community and great that the Kansas Department of Commerce is recognizing that through its award. If you aren't familiar with his work, I encourage you to visit his website to learn more about it.
BUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY (BASE) GRANT UPDATE
Unfortunately, we did not receive any of the joint applications that were submitted for industrial park infrastructure or housing infrastructure through the state's BASE Grant Application. A full list of awardees is available here. While it is discouraging to miss out on these funds, we were not the only community or county in southwest Kansas to be left in this situation. In fact, only $425,398 of the BASE Grant's $100 million were allocated to southwest Kansas. We will continue to discuss alternatives as the needs addressed in the BASE Grant, industrial park development and housing, are as critical as ever.
What we're doing this month!
The majority of our work at the development corporation consists of supporting local entrepreneurs and businesses as they start or expand their operations. Through our partners, we can provide the expertise and the funding that these ventures need in order to be successful. These same partners and networks also connect us to resources outside of Seward County. This month will bring new opportunities for learning and networking that can help the businesses and communities here at home.
- May 6: Development Corporation Monthly Board Meeting
City of Liberal Economic Development News
Cindy Wallace: City of Liberal Economic Development Director
Interested in Owning a Franchise?
In many towns you will see many of these same businesses such as McDonald’s, Taco Johns, Burger King, 7-Eleven, Jimmy John’s, Meineke Care Center, UPS Stores, Great Clips, Ace Hardware, Jiffy Lube, Lawn Doctors. Great Clips, Planet Fitness or a Holiday Inn. What do they all have in common? They are franchises. So, what exactly is a Franchise. A franchise (or franchising) is a method of distributing products or services involving a franchisor, who establishes the brands trademark or trade name and a business system, and a franchisee, who pays a royalty and often an initial fee for the rights to do business under the franchisor’s name and system.
The most common franchised industry categories include service-related fields such as home repair and remodeling, carpet cleaning, and maintenance and cleaning services. Business support franchises include package shipping, accounting, printing, advertising services or personnel services. Most common franchised industries include restaurant or fast food, hair salons, automotive repairs and services, health aid, children services, clothing stores and computer and home repair.
Every franchise has certain standards that a franchisee has to follow. Many include an investment or franchise fee from $10,000 to $350,000 +. There are also initial investment ranges and royalty fees that help pay for advertising, updates, etc.
Benefits of being a Franchisee include:
Name recognition – People are familiar with this business and they know what types of products and services it already provides.
Advertising – National advertising is done by franchisor and they have advertising guidance in place. Most franchisees do their own local advertising.
Training & Support – The franchisee has access to franchisors operations manual, computer systems and other items to help you successfully manage your franchise. Many has hands on training ahead of opening up your business.
So, if you wonder why some businesses are not available in your community, maybe it is because they need a franchisor or franchisee to open one up. If you wish to learn more about owning your own franchise and want further information contact me, Cindy Wallace, at the City of Liberal Economic Development office, 620-626-2256. I am looking into some training programs on this topic and will be working with the Small Business Development Center to assist. Further information will be forthcoming.
