Business Development

You won't find a better place in the United States to do business. Low taxes, affordable land, strategic location, an available and highly trained workforce, proximity to education and training institutions, ease of transportation and communications; all make Pottawatomie County an ideal location for business.

Whether you're serving a local or worldwide market - Pottawatomie County is a progressive, business oriented venue for your operations.

Pottawatomie County is blessed with a cluster of successful entrepreneurs. These business people have made successes both locally and worldwide in agriculture, services, manufacturing, innovative software and other businesses and industries. They also provide effective leadership in our communities and in our nonprofit organizations.

Our county and city governments, our chambers of commerce, our local banks, the Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation, USDA Rural Development, our regional Small Business Development Center, the Kansas Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Administration, have each contributed to business success in our county. Each is ready to help you bring your business idea to reality, or to expand for the future.

Contact the Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation for current information on regional economic conditions, available land, labor force, business planning, financing opportunities, technical assistance, and other information that will help you make an informed decision for business startup or expansion.

Business Incentives

• Kansas Inc.
  Kansas Inc. features a number of online publications. Their Guide to Business Tax Incentives is most useful.
  
• Westar Energy
  KPL has a rate reduction plan for new and expanding existing businesses within their territory. It is geared toward heavy users power. If you qualify, they offer a five year reduction plan that starts at 25% and declines 5% a year for five years. Go directly to the Site Map on their web page and look for the link to the business incentive section.
  
• Kansas Depart of Commerce
  Kansas Department of Commerce is one of the leaders in business development help. They have many programs, including tax incentives, grants and loans, trade show participation mini-grants, workforce training, and marketing assistance. Go to their web site and scroll down to the Business Information button.
  
• USDA Rural Development
  The USDA has a number helpful business programs; all of them are wonderfully adorned with acronyms, such as IRP, RBEG, REDL, REDG, etc. REDL or commonly termed "RedLeg" is one of private businesses' favorites, for it features a 0% interest (really about 3%) loan program.
• Local Contact for USDA Rural Development Loan and Grant Program
  Ron Dickey
  Member Services Director
  / Economic Development Coordinator
  Bluestem Electric Cooperative, Inc.
  614 East Highway 24
  P.O. Box 5
  Wamego, Kansas 66547
  Ph: 785-456-2212
  rond@bluestemelectric.com
• KTECH
  Ktech offers a number of different programs to promote the research and development of advanced technology.
• *Also: check with your local sources, for the City of Wamego has a utility reduction plan, Westmoreland Industrial Park features free property for qualified businesses, the governments of Onaga and St. Marys too are very proactive, and there are funding programs such as industrial revenue bonds that feature low interest rates and automatic property tax abatements. Almost all cities within Pottawatomie County, and the County itself, have legislation in place that can authorize the use of property tax abatements as an incentive for manufacturers. Call the economic development office for further details.

Starting a Business

• Washburn Small Business Development Center
  The Washburn Small Business Development Center is a great resource for those just starting a business.
  
• SCORE website
  The Service Corps of Retired Executives is an outreach program for small business owners. The Score website offers an amazing business help links section, which includes everything from copyright searches to business plan templates and tax help. Score offers email counseling and workshops.
• North Carolina Extension
  Need help deciding how to structure your business? The NC Coop Service has a great tutorial online that can teach you about the differences between corporations, partnerships, and LLCs.
• Small Business Administration
  The Small Business Administration offers a lot of advice concerning business growth and expansion. The best info is listed the categories starting your business, financing your business, and expanding your business.
  
• Small Business Resource Center
  The Small Business Resource Center is a commercial page that provides helpful information. Click on the 'free reports' button and you will be able to read a wide-variety of articles, such as raising money, buying franchises, and starting various sorts of businesses.

Other equally useful links by category:
Franchises

• The Small Business Resource Center is a commercial page that provides helpful information. Click on the 'free reports' button and you will be able to read a wide-variety of articles, such as raising money, buying franchises, and starting various sorts of businesses.
• This is a Federal Trade Commission article that focuses on the how's and what's concerning the purchase of a franchise. AND consult this page.
  
• The SBA offers many links to information about franchises.
  

Doing Business on the Web

• This is a Federal Trade Commission site that offers many articles about doing business on the Internet. It seems very thorough.
  
• The Marketing Resource Center is a site that offers many articles pertaining to the art of advertising your product on the web.

Regulations and Taxes

• Obtain your IRS forms online!
  
• The home page of the Kansas Department of Revenue a good page if you desire to know more about how to pay your taxes.

Marketing

• This is an example of a marketing plan presented by North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Service.
  

Home-Based Business

• The SBA offers many links to sites that are concerned with home businesses.

International Trade

• For a list of resources concerning international trade, try this SBA links page.
  
• The US Business Advisor offers many links that may answer your questions about doing business internationally.
  
• If you plan to expand into the international arena, do make sure to order Kansas Department of Commerce's International Trade Resource Directory online.
  

Women's Business Assistance

• The SBA offers many links for assistance to women in business.
  
• Many business issues are covered in this site. Advancing Women is a site that is supposed to be most useful to women.