Community Reinvention
Schallert Recognizes Phillips County
It is always good when visitors to our community are impressed with the people and activites in Phillips county. We often do not get feedback directly. Rarer still, have articles written about Phillips County and then have them published in national magazines. Well, here is one such article, we would like to share with you.
Jon Schallert, the founder of Schallert Bootcamp, was fortunate to have got to know seven (7) individuals from Phillips County last year that attended his camp. The knowledge and expertise shared during the bootcamp was quickly applied by the business owners from Phillips County upon their return. The Discover Phillipsburg Main Street organization with financial assistance from Phillips County Economic Development (PCED) last year sent these seven individuals, including Michelle Jacobs (the community coordinator) for the Community Reinvestment group of Phillips County.
The growth and impact by Schallert bootcamp on these businesses was so great, that the PCED made the committment to the Schallert Group to reserve a place each year for six businesses for the next three (3) years. This was a $45,000 dollar committment for the Bootcamp by paying for business owners boot-camp reservation fees. This type of committment was the first ever for Schallert across the entire nation. It was because of this involvement with Phillips County, that Jon had a special article created to put in some national magazines.
Payback to the community comes from the growth of these businesses (because of the application of the education learned at Schallert). Every business is different in what it does and the impacts received. One of the business owners stated it helped increase their revenue by at least 400%, another 100%, another was seeing 50% increases, where others forecasted future growth potential. These impacts are all great, but vary depending on the business and its involvements in applying ideas it has learned.
The biggest challenge most businesses see upon returning (if they are making large expansions or changes) is financial. Phillips County, Kansas is very unique as the PCED has a local grant program, called the EBEP. It is one of only about 4 counties in the State of Kansas which has a true grant program for entrepreneurs. Along with the grant, if approved, they can apply for a low to no interest loan up to 60% of the cost of the project. If they happen to fall into the Discover Phillips Main Street district in Phillipsburg, they could as for additional zero interest loan funds. This pro-active atmosphere being created and fueled by businesses attending Schallert, is one of many reasons which lead Phillips County to be designated an Entrepreneurial Community (E-Community) by Network Kansas in 2010.
Every business is unique, just like every person is, that runs a business. The key to growing our communities is through visionary concepts created by our entrepreneurs. Stepping out of the box (mindset) from our rural mainstreet (traditional marketing) into creating a place (business) that visitors and shoppers will travel more than 200 miles to purchase items because it is (a destination). This concept may sound strange, but consider what you (everyone) does for a vacation. They make a special trip to go somewhere unique.
Phillips County has had it challenges, but as residents and businesses we have great potential. Jon Schallert and many other visitors which shop here as a regional point, see this. If we are to continue to stay strong and grow, we must be pro-active and postitive, and see ourselves (our county) as a regional point, just as many people across the state and nation see us already.
Let’s Discover Phillips County’s potential!!!!
Posted by Jeff Hofaker