Planning your direction (LOOKING AHEAD is essential!)

2. Planning your direction(LOOKING AHEAD is essential!)

3. Focus(Know the obstacles and where they are!)

4. Application of Knowledge(shortcuts or one-way/one group vision )

5. Thoughts of Wisdom! • If you Fail to Plan – you better Plan to Fail! • “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”Henry Ford (1863-1947) • To get to where you are going – you must first know WHERE you are going; second, PLAN you course and then DO IT.

6. What is Collaboration? …. Webster defines as: “the act of working jointly – especially in a joint intellectual effort” Some synonyms: Alliance -- Aid -- Coalition – Fusion Cooperation – Harmony – Society Combined Effort – Helping – Unity Partnership – Reciprocity – Synergy Teamwork – Participation – Playing Ball

7. Collaboration (from Local to Micro - Regional Level) Breaking Down Walls: (Local) • Age Groups (Youth vs. Elderly) • Groups (non-organized) • Organizations • School districts • Hospitals • Businesses (seeing competition between themselves) • City governments/officials • County offices/officials • Federal offices – serving local

8. Collaboration (from Local to Micro - Regional Level) Breaking Down Walls: (Micro - Regional) • Economic Development • Chambers • School districts • Hospitals • Businesses (seeing competition between themselves) • Towns • Counties

9. Rural – Local levels: (there are always some exceptions!) Understanding Impact Communication Trust Competitive Walls Continual Awareness and Input Apathy Busy ness of leaders Reluctance to release control by leaders Micro-Regional level: (thinking about the big picture!) Same as above Emphasis put on: Trust Understanding Communication Reasons for challenges: (What local groups/individuals are thinking) Let me know or have input on the plan! How will this help me? Explain and update me! We don’t know you, the plan, and (what’s in it for you, organization, or city) We just never have and never will! .. Or they are our school rival (town chimes in) We want to be kept informed and feel & know we are part of the TEAM! Challenges to Collaboration

10. Must Haves!...(for collaboration to work at a local level) • Trust • This applies to all levels – but especially to leaders of county, cities, organizations, & businesses. • Local Key Person • Represents an organization / group of which puts all the pieces and people together for the common vision and growth of county • Director/Manager of E.D. group or chamber • Person must be full time, educated in field & paid their worth • Must be a positive, up-to-date on most info and a good communicator • Equal participation • This should be an understood principle. Invite your friends into the vision, ask for input. • Education • Constant & Repetitive • Back to the Basics (especially on economic development and the long-term vision) • Communication • Willingness by leaders and residents to: • Work for the vision • Open to needed changes (even if they are tough – resulting in controversy) • Risk being different • Deal with false info, rumors, or negatives – immediately, fairly, & kindly

11. Its not about “ME” … It’s about “US” & TEAM! Reciprocal – What affects us affects you, and what affects you affects us. webster: felt on both sides Team – a group on the same side looking after the whole webster: a group organized to work together What are the four main areas of economic development? Recruitment Expansion Creation Develop Community – (why? So employees / owners of businesses WANT to move to, live in, stay, and encourage others for you to live here!) Networking Communication & Education Big Picture!!

12. Where is Phillips County?

13. Statistics: 6001 people – 2496 households 10 towns Median Household Income -- $35,013 31% of businesses owned by females Over the last 20 years – the equivalent of a family of 5 each month has left our county One of two counties in the N.C. part of Kansas migrating employees into county to work Economic Facts: 11 new mid to smaller entrepreneur businesses established last year Regional SRS– 22 retained PHAE – ethanol – a 57 M entrepreneurial business – to employ 36 to 40 Multiple local businesses expanding with employment opportunities across the board: Nex-tech – (30) Brooke Corporation (40 – 50) Phillips County

14. Phillips County EconomicDevelopment, Inc. (PCED) • Not-for-profit • Created in 1971 • 10 member volunteer board • 2 bankers • 1 farmer/rancher • 2 large Corp. Reps • 1 foundation Rep • 4 entrepreneurs • Full-time Director • Since Nov 2002 • Diverse/Pro-active • Private Funding • Grants • Business support

15. Collaboration Projects - PCED • Started Brooke Corp. in our incubator space – began with 17 employees and now has over 100 and still hiring • Sold stock to regional businesses to help get business expanded • Over 65 % of business’s employees come from outside our county

16. (Entrepreneurial Center)Our solution .. For Rural Entrepreneurs… Aspects of Center: • Video Conferencing • Base Curriculum • Mentoring • Incubator Building • Venture or Optional Funding • Facilitator (EC Director • Networking (ED Director)

17. Solomon Valley Regional Entrepreneurial Center(a collaborative effort and project) How did it start? • Started as a PCED vision • Project started in 2002 and developed over first year in 2003 • Collaboration of vision with WSU • Initially all $ support came from: • Local foundations • Local business • Some $ Support now coming from WSU through Center of Entrepreneurship funds • Some Marketing & Networking now assisted by RCD (Solomon Valley)

18. Center now utilized for! Entrepreneurial Classes (WSU) Business Planning Classes – 27 hrs Business Growth Classes – 27 hrs Computer Classes (Mortensen) Quicken Digital Camera Web Design Other classes need by business (catered) Foundation Establishment (Dr. Udell) Grant Writing Training (Dr. Udell) Research Center for Grants Software library utilized by 8 surrounding area counties and Nebraska Youth Preparation and Information Training HS Seniors for Interviews Updating and Informing Seniors on E.D. and Entrepreneurship through examples and mentors Some of the Results! 7 new local (county) businesses created with 26 part or full time employees 5 new regional (out of county) businesses created 2004 fall business planning class (full) 20 people (representing 35% out of county) 2005 spring business growth class (full) 26 people (representing 45% out of county) One quicken class taught, with 2 scheduled and full One Digital class taught, with 1 more scheduled 36 individuals signed up for web design class First to be held in May or June Grant for web software (waiting on) 4 new foundations created 2 county wide foundations 2 regional (multi-county) foundations A newly sparked interest in entrepreneurship More groups and businesses becoming creative and looking at alternative ways to grow, expand, or improve their community and its residents An atmosphere of entrepreneur growth and excitement An atmosphere of teamwork developing again! Entrepreneurial Center(continued)

19. Prairie Horizon Agri-Energy, LLC(Ethanol Project) This is a 57 million dollar entrepreneurial business project. Started by the vision of PCED to create a primary business for our county, and is becoming a benefit to the entire region. • Approximately 55% of equity came from outside our county. • When construction begins – construction workers will come from entire region. • Permanent employees will be from the region. • Supplies of grain for the project will be from the region and an assist farmers and ranchers outside our county. • Although located in Phillips County – this business will have reciprocal effects that will benefit the region!

20. Local Collaboration The ‘FTK” Project – managed by the Phillips County Development and Community Foundation: • Approximate $300,000 dollar playground facility • $150,000 raised in county for project • Other half is in-kind donated labor • Individuals, businesses, and other foundations all helped across the board even though project located in Phillipsburg. • Start of construction April 14 – finish date April 19 • Teamwork! – working together (Picture on immediate left is sample of another project, not our project)

21. Review! Collaboration is: Working together – common vision Challenges: • Impact • Communication • Trust • Competitive Walls Continual Awareness and Input (to those impacted) • Apathy • Busy ness of leaders • Reluctance to release control by leaders Must haves: • Trust • Key Person • Key Organization • Equal Participation • Education • Communication • Willingness

22. What is your perception of economic development in your area? • What was the latest E.D. project in your county? • If you could name one person to send a visitor to start a business who would it be? • Collaboration is key to the future success your county .. Is it happening?

23. What is Excellence? The result of: • Caring more than others think is wise ….. • Risking more than others think is safe ….. • Dreaming more than others think is practical ….. • Expecting more than others think is possible…..

24. Contact Information PCED C/O Jeff Hofaker - Director P.O. Box 508 Phillipsburg, KS 67661 785-543-5809 PCED@ruraltel.net

25. Additional Information This information can be used for training or utilized to inform and educate your leaders of your county about economic development. I feel repetitiveness and consistency is another key fact of education – the more times you remind your leaders and residents – the better chance they understand the vision, collaboration and economic efforts your are trying to achieve for everyone – including them!

26. What is economic development? A local economy is a geographic area where people live and work, earn and spend. Local businesses can be measured for their consistency, growth in size and growth in quality. All of these are influenced by the “quality and quantity” of money flowing INTO the area by the activity of the “primary” or “contributory” industries in the area. Economic Development is broadly defined as projects or programs that help local economies be more consistent, and grow in size, strength and quality”

27. Economics(in a nutshell) • “Bucket” Example • Water “In” = Money “In” • Water “out the hole” = expenses • Primary Industry: sells product outside and brings money back in economy • Secondary Industry: stirs the economy – they service people in the local economy – ultimately releasing money out of economy • There can be a mix of primary and secondary – with technology - ties to the world

28. Understanding….Our role!(Economic Development Offices) • Recruitment of business • Expansion of current businesses • Start-up / Development of businesses • Community Development • Encouragement, assisting or the creation of projects which attract the needed employees and their families to area for businesses • Networking (information and ideas) • Communication & Education (understanding economics and the roles of development)

29. Community Development • Working with organization and projects emphasizing the community. Specifically for economic development, looking at improving the appearance, practical usage of property, internal procedures and networking, infrastructure and other issues which through improvement make development of businesses practical and effective in the area.

30. Need for full-time person in each countySomeone knowing & consistently gathering Area Resources for Businesses (They put the pieces together) • Human • Skills, Education, Communication Lines • Social • Networks, Professional Services, Role Models, Mentors • Physical • Land, Buildings, Equipment, Products, Labor Sourcing • Financial • Bank Loans, Business Incentives, Social Incentives, Angels, Private Sector (Foundations), Individuals • Organizational Infrastructure • Distributors, Management teams, Accounting systems for different primary and secondary industry

31. Thoughts to Ponder! To get to where you are going – you must first know WHERE you are going; second, PLAN you course and then DO IT. Why do most people not pursue their goals or dreams – F E A R F – False E – Evidence A – Appearing R – Real What you GET by reaching your goals is not nearly as important as what you BECOME by reaching your goals