Economic & Community Development
Clay County Economic & Community Development
517 Court
Clay Center, KS 67432
Phone: (785) 632-6701
Fax: (785) 632-5856
e-mail: clayksrobyn@eaglecom.net
Economic Development Programs and News:
North Central Kansas Small Business Development Center has small business Seminars starting early next year. For more information see www.ncksbdc.com or call 785-243-9913.
The Clay County Economic Development Group is hosting several workshops in the next couple of months related to business transition, finance, and marketing. To learn more about any of these workshops call the Economic Development Group’s office at 632-5974 or stop by their office at 517 Court Street. The facebook and website design workshops require the participant to bring a laptop. All workshops cost $25.
Making CentS of Financial Statements will be held February 2nd at the Clay County Medical Center from 2:00 to 4:00pm. In this workshop you will learn what ratio analysis, benchmarking, and industry statistics are and how to use them to improve your business. You will also learn how to use your periodic financial statements to uncover hidden profit opportunities, how to leverage your accounting relationship, and what banks are looking for.
facebook 301- Growing Your Business on facebook will be held February 23rd at the Clay County Medical Center from 10am to noon. Attend this session to learn what you should be posting on your business page and how frequently. You will also learn how to add fans to your business page, go viral, draw on your network, create events, optimize searches, and advertise on facebook to market your business. You must have a business facebook page before attending this workshop.
Facebook 401 – Using eCommerce on Your Business facebook Page will be held February 23rd from 2:00 to 4:00pm. This session is for people who have had a business facebook page for awhile and feel comfortable using it. In it you will learn how to set up the eCommerce features on your business facebook page and how to market it to your customers.
The Clay County Economic Development Group is hosting a Marketing Needs Assessment workshop on Wednesday March 7th from 1:00 to 3:00pm at the Clay County Medical Center Education Room. Those who participate in this workshop can schedule a free individual consultation with the presenter on Friday, March 9th.
Planning for marketing success is a tedious but necessary part of a business. The Marketing Needs Assessment workshop is designed to make the process more fruitful and less painful. Participants of the workshop will receive a full appraisal of their current marketing efforts and help identifying their business and marketing goals; strategies that link directly to those goals; and a specific plan of action with tasks and milestones. A professional consultant will take you through the assessment and use the information gathered to make a comprehensive marketing recommendation.
Because of the goal-oriented nature of the assessment, marketing cost savings of 20 percent are common. And for businesses which don't currently have a marketing budget, year-on-year sales and profit increases of 50 percent are also a common occurrence.
How does it happen? The Marketing Needs Assessment uncovers the most appropriate mix of promotional tools and how to integrate them with pricing and distribution. In this way, resources are allocated efficiently. Then the businessperson will meet with the consultant after the assessment and analysis are complete and receive an easy-to-follow roadmap for marketing success.
The workshop will be led by David Mace a business consultant for the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Wichita State University who also teaches business management and marketing classes at Friends University. Some of his past clients have said: "I recommend any business owner have Dave Mace in their toolkit."; "Dave was engaging and broke things down in easy-to-understand ways."; "I want Dave at the table because he's the guy who understands my business."
For more information call the Clay County Economic Development Group at 785-632-5974. To reserve your spot in the workshop send payment of $25 to CCEDG, 517 Court Street, Clay Center.
Director - Lori Huber
Board of Directors:
Chairman - Keith Blake
Vice Chairman - Mike Foster
Treasurer - Sharon Evans
Mike Spicer - Clay County Commissioner
James Thatcher - Mayor of Clay Center
Jared Hopper
Ron Bender
Jayson Hood
Ned Valentine
Randy Rundle
Gary Griffiths
Greg Richardson - Clay Center Chamber of Commerce
Bill Callaway
Steve McMahan
Dennis Pedersen
Maury Catlin