Success story:
Genesis Environmental Solutions Inc.
Blue Springs environmental services firm makes positive strides with advice from MU Extension business development experts
Shaun Thomas knows his business.
He's been in environmental and storage tank maintenance, repair and replacement in the Kansas City area for more than 20 years.
After working in such areas as CAD drafting and surveying, Shaun joined an environmental remediation company in Independence in 1990. Over the next 14 years he learned the business so well that he was making virtually all the project decisions in the field and the business decisions in the office. So, after discovering he could run a business he decided to start his own firm in 2004.
When Shaun opened the doors of Genesis Environmental Solutions Inc., the company had a workforce of one. But Shaun knew his business and he knew where he wanted to take it.
From one employee, one desk, part of an office and minimal equipment, GES has mushroomed in seven years. Today the company's expandable 16,000 square-foot Blue Springs-based headquarters has more than 20 employees and three acres to accommodate a work shed and the growing legion of vehicles and heavy equipment required to tackle the customers' needs.
"We've changed quite a bit in the seven years since I started GES," says Shaun. "But all the while I knew where I wanted to go. We're on the right path."
Read this complete story with additional photos.
Open for business: Information to help you recover and rebuild after a disaster (part 1)
10 steps to help you
The recent natural disasters in Missouri and the anticipated flooding in many parts of the state have emphasized the need for businesses to be prepared for eventualities. When tragedy of this magnitude strikes, the impact of it can be lessened somewhat if you take precautions now and put some things in place that will help you cope at a time when your employees, your business and you are most vulnerable.
Should the unexpected occur, this tip sheet includes information vital to recovering and rebuilding your business.
Where to begin?
As you begin to rebuild your life and your business following a disaster, knowing where to start can be extremely difficult. Here are some steps that can help you decide where you'll begin the process.
1. Reconnect
Obtain a working phone line. You need a way to receive calls and reach out to family, friends and customers. If all you have access to is a cell phone, get your business number forwarded to the cell number. Having a way to connect via phone will also help with the natural feelings of isolation you may feel following a disaster.
If your business location was involved in the disaster, you may have lost computer equipment and the ability to connect via the Internet and email. One immediate way to handle this is to ensure that you can receive email and have web access through your phone. Or find a local business center with Internet access. During many recent disasters, the most up-to-date information has been available through Facebook, Twitter and other social media.
As you begin to clean, repair and rebuild, hook up a television so you have some sense of connection to the outside world. At the very least, listen to a radio so you can hear the latest updates on weather, the community and local assistance efforts.
2. Break the task down
Attempting to do everything at once will feel overwhelming. As you stand in a damaged store or factory, the amount of work before you can easily make you feel powerless and defeated. Start by breaking the work down into manageable chunks. Each completed task will give you confidence and strength for the next chore. Start with the smaller, more realistic steps, and build on that, applauding yourself each time you complete a task. Before you know it, you will have accomplished a great deal.
Read all ten of the tips to help recover after a disaster.
Preservation of business tax records is factor to consider when preparing for natural disasters
WASHINGTON, D.C. - To be better prepared to face the consequences of unexpected events, the Internal Revenue Service encourages individuals and businesses to safeguard their tax records against natural disasters by taking a few simple steps.
Create a backup set of records electronically
Taxpayers should keep a set of backup records in a safe place. The backup should be stored away from the original set.
Keeping a backup set of records — including, for example, bank statements, tax returns, insurance policies, etc. — is easier now that many financial institutions provide statements and documents electronically, and much financial information is available on the Internet. Even if the original records are provided only on paper, they can be scanned into an electronic format. With documents in electronic form, taxpayers can download them to a backup storage device, like an external hard drive, or burn them to a CD or DVD.
Read all of the steps to safeguard records from the IRS.
Business going green
New web-based tools from MU's EAC help small businesses save money on energy
Wouldn't it be nice to have a tool with all of the information your business needs to find financing for energy efficiency improvements?
MU's Environmental Assistance Center has added just such a tool to its website: an energy efficiency widget that was created by the Nebraska Business Development Center.
The widget lists every Missouri utility company and contains links to currently offered energy-related incentives from each specific company. It also gives details on how customers can obtain incentives for their small business (both commercial and home-based).
EAC's Energy Efficiency webpage also has several other additions. See this guide to the webpage and its many new resources or visit this guide on energy efficiency basics that can help any small business.
Annual Missouri Procurement Conference draws hundreds to UCM campus
WARRENSBURG, Mo. - More than 270 attendees and 70 exhibitors participated in the annual Missouri Procurement Conference June 2, at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. The event was presented by Sen. Claire McCaskill, the Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers and the Missouri Small Business & Technology Development Centers.
"The conference brings together representatives of industry and government in a tradition aimed at enhancing economic development by improving access to information for Missouri's small businesses," said Morris Hudson, director of MO PTAC.
In addition to Sen. McCaskill, special guests included keynote speaker Don Nissanka, president and CEO of energy storage systems producer Energonix based in Lee's Summit; Rear Adm. David Baucom, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for acquisition and logistics management; and Gen. Duncan McNabb, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
Among the many formal presentations at the day-long conference were sessions covering: selling to the government; the "Choose Veterans First" program; SBA contracting programs and financing; Small Disadvantaged Business certification and Historically Underutilized Business Zone programs; base and post contracting; ethical compliance programs; contract pricing and estimating; social media marketing; doing business with MoDOT; and "greening" of the government supply chain.
Presenters and facilitators for the event included MO PTAC counselors and staff, members of the MO SBTDC, and the UCM SBTDC staff directed by Mark Manley.
Local PTAC specialists can help small businesses compete for government contracts. Appointments may be made for consultations on procurement issues by contacting the PTAC office near you.
SBA news:
Free online tool from SBA helps small businesses develop export business plan
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Small businesses interested in starting or expanding sales of their goods and services overseas have access to a new, free online tool that will gauge their readiness to export and help them develop an export business plan.
The Export Business Planner, developed by the U.S. Small Business Administration, offers a ready-made, customizable and easily accessible document that can be updated and referenced continuously as the business grows.
The Planner, located at www.sba.gov/exportbusinessplanner, allows users to:
- Determine their export readiness
- Learn about training and counseling opportunities
- Complete worksheets for global market research
- Obtain financing information and options
- Customize export marketing plans, and
- Access resources for exporters
"Creating jobs through exporting is one of the nation's top economic priorities, as the President indicated when he launched the National Export Initiative," said Karen G. Mills, SBA administrator. "Giving exporters the tools to do their part in this effort is essential. The new Export Business Planner is one such tool and will serve businesses in the critical process of planning for their success."
The Planner is a PDF file that can be easily downloaded, accessed, customized and updated every time you use it. It features an extensive compilation of export research and information, including quick links to websites, video profiles, training podcasts, trade statistics, contact information to counseling resources such as SCORE and SBDCs, a list of current SBA lenders and much more.
The tool is organized in comprehensive chapters that are cross-linked and indexed for efficiency and easy access to related topics.
SBA offers new smart phone app for small business owners
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Smart phone users interested in starting or growing a small business can now find helpful resources at their fingertips via a new SBA mobile application from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Developed and donated as a gift by Palo Alto Software Inc., the SBA mobile app will make the search for extensive resources more efficient, whether users are starting a new business or taking an existing business to a new level. The app will first be available for the Apple iPhone®, with future versions for other smart phone platforms.
The mobile app will help users connect with SBA district office staff and SBA-affiliated counselors and mentors who can provide free, personalized small business assistance. The user-friendly format of the app will help answer questions such as:
- How do I start a business?
- Where can I go in my area to get free help with writing a business plan? and
- Where do I begin finding funding for my business?
The SBA mobile app also features a built-in startup cost calculator to help estimate the costs associated with getting a business off the ground, plus an SBA partner locator to help users find SBA offices, Small Business Development Centers, Women's Business Centers and SCORE.
The free mobile app can be downloaded from the SBA's website at www.sba.gov/content/sba-mobile-app.
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