Success story: Midwest Customs
Youthful entrepreneur customizes his own business with help from SBTDC
Fresh from high school a few years back, Mike Carter went to work for the local FM radio station, KMZU 100.7 in Carrollton, Mo. The general manager of the station planned to teach Mike the ropes of the radio business...marketing, advertising, programming, customer relations.
Young businessman Mike Carter founded his Carrollton, Mo.-based truck accessories and body shop three years ago.
All those are good subjects for any newcomer to cover when entering a business. But Mike had a couple of hurdles to overcome. First, his heart was elsewhere. He preferred the roadways to the airwaves. Maintaining and customizing trucks and automobiles was what really tickled his fancy.
Secondly, Mike had an independent streak. He really wanted to start his own business and not be working for someone else...especially the general manager at KMZU, Miles Carter...Mike's father.
"When I graduated high school I was stuck with a choice. I had (either) college for the next four years or the workforce. And I worked for my dad for about two weeks...and that was about enough of that," Mike laughingly recalls.
So Mike followed his heart. He decided to start a truck accessories and body shop in Carrollton-Midwest Customs.
But soon he found he had more obstacles to surmount...most of them related to starting a business. So he knocked on the door of someone who could give him solid advice about establishing an enterprise, veteran business expert Steve Holt.
Visit www.missouribusiness.net/success/mw_customs.asp for the complete story with additional photos.
20 Missouri entrepreneurs, innovators to be honored by state legislators Jan. 28
Owners and managers of 20 outstanding small businesses in Missouri will be honored by members of the Missouri General Assembly Jan. 28, at a business showcase in Jefferson City. The event, sponsored by the Missouri Small Business & Technology Development Centers (MO SBTDC) and the Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (MO PTAC), highlights the achievements of some of the two programs' top performing clients.
Each of the businesses will exhibit its products and services at the MO SBTDC/MO PTAC Client Showcase from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on the third floor of the Capitol rotunda. 
They also will receive legislative resolutions from their respective state senators and representatives honoring the impact of their enterprises on the economic development of the state.
"This showcase provides a venue to demonstrate the importance of Missouri's small businesses to the economic vitality of the state," says Steve Wyatt, director of the University of Missouri Extension's Business Development Program, who administratively oversees MO SBTDC and MO PTAC. "Each of these businesses—many of which are technology-oriented and in early stages of developing cutting-edge products—has received expert assistance from MO SBTDC and MO PTAC counselors, which enabled them to start or expand their enterprises."
Among the honored Missouri-based businesses scheduled to attend the showcase are:
- Acceleration LLC - Lee's Summit
- A.M. Pyrotechnics LLC - Buffalo
- Carbolytic Materials Co. - Maryville
- Cervimark - St. Louis
- Andy R. DeShon - St. Joseph
- Douglas Manufacturing - Rolla
- DT Search and Designs LLC - St. Joseph
- Enginet Technologies - Columbia
- InnovaPrep Division (subsidiary of AlburtyLab Inc.) - Drexel
- LipoSpectrum - St. Louis
- Nanoparticle Biochem Inc. - Columbia
- Producers' Choice Soy Energy LLC - Moberly
- Pro Perma Engineered Coatings LLC - Rolla
- PureFlow Technologies Inc. - Jefferson City
- QM Power Inc. - Greenwood
- Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction - Columbia
- Transport Graphics Inc. - Springfield
- TWS Technical Services LLC - Kansas City
- The UPS Store - Poplar Bluff
- Wildwood Ranch Development Inc. - Joplin
Business going green: Growing businesses on 'leftovers'
During the recent holidays, many cooks wondered what to do with large quantities of leftovers. Now just imagine the ongoing volumes of leftovers generated by large, industrial food producers. A number of Missouri entrepreneurs are looking at food waste as an opportunity, and here are three examples.
Grisham Farm Products, Inc., founded in 1994 near Mountain Grove, may have been the first large-scale food waste processing plant in the state. The family corporation produces a high-quality feed that is sold to the poultry and swine industries.
"We'll take pet food, pasta, cereal, nuts, and anything made out of grain, including salvage grains, from a 500-mile radius," says Mike Hendershot, manager of feed formulations, sales and procurement. "We can always use more product!"
Started by Lexie Grisham as a way to supplement feed for his own livestock, the company now employs up to 85 workers, processes about 80,000 to 85,000 tons of food waste per year and serves most of the Midwest.
Continue reading about growing businesses on 'leftovers:' www.missouribusiness.net/eac/docs/grow_leftovers.asp
Lake Business Conference in March offers
management, marketing, start-up strategies
Business owners, managers, prospective entrepreneurs and community leaders from around the state are encouraged to attend the 2009 Lake Business Conference March 4, at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach. Theme of the day-long conference is "Strategies for Success," according to Jackie Rasmussen, coordinator of the event.
Rasmussen, MU Extension business development specialist based in Camdenton, and fellow business development specialists Mick Gilliam and Chris Thompson will present sessions on various topics related to starting a business. Other tracks will cover customer and market development, cost management strategies, and economic development.
"The $50 registration fee covers breakfast, lunch and all session materials," says Rasmussen. "Nationally known small business consultant Curt Clinkenbeard will offer three different sessions on marketing and advertising, and Mike Alden, MU athletics director, will present the conference keynote address."
To register, phone 573-346-2644 or go online to www.lakebusinessconference.com. In addition to MU Extension, conference sponsors include: the Lake Area, Camdenton Area, Eldon and Lake West chambers of commerce; SCORE; Central Bank of Lake of the Ozarks; First National Bank; Lake Sun Publications; KRCG-TV; and radio stations KRMS, Mix 92.7, KS-95 and 101.9 The Wave.
Did you know...
...How many people are employed by small firms in the United States?
Small businesses employ about half of U.S. workers. Of 116.3 million nonfarm private sector workers in 2005 (the latest year for which data exist), small firms-those with fewer than 500 workers-employed 58.6 million and large firms employed 57.7 million. Firms with fewer than 20 workers employed 21.3 million. While small firms create 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs, their share of employment remains steady since some firms grow into large firms as they create new jobs.
...Now you know.
Last month: How many new jobs do small businesses create?
Ask a specialist: Starting a computer sales and service business in Missouri
Question: I want to start a computer sales and service business. What process do I need to go through to make sure I have completed all the required paperwork to establish such a business?
Answer: When registering your business to operate in Missouri, please follow these four steps:
First, after selecting a business name and form of organization (for a sole proprietorship), go to the Missouri Secretary of State's Web site (sos.mo.gov) and follow this path (Businesses > Starting A Business > Register Fictitious Name) to register online. Or, go to www.sos.mo.gov/forms.asp to download the appropriate form (Registration of Fictitious Name (Corp. 56)) to register your business by mail. Complete the form and mail it with the required fee of $7 to the address listed on the form. If you would like the form mailed to you, call 573-751-3827.
Next, apply for a Federal Employer Identification Number by going to this Internal Revenue Service Web address: www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98350,00.html. Follow the links to complete your application for an EIN. After submitting all requested data, the number will come back to you almost immediately. If you would like to apply for this number over the telephone, call 800-829-4933. (NOTE: Even if you are not going to have any employees as a sole proprietorship, it's a very good idea to get this number. The bank, vendors, customers, and government agencies will request it.)
Read the other steps for registering a new business at: www.missouribusiness.net/docs/ask_start_business.asp
Resolve to become a better leader
January is the month of changes, transitions and resolutions. With the advent of the New Year (and new leadership for our country) business owners and operators should take stock of their leadership abilities.
Leaders-historical or present day, political, religious or entrepreneurial-come in all shapes and sizes. Yet when analyzing the traits and skill-sets that contribute to success, a number of common characteristics emerge. In your quest to increase your insight and understanding of your staff and colleagues, review this list of "12 P's" to enhance your "effectiveness quotient" as the leader of your enterprise.
- Personable.
Have an outgoing style. "Working the crowd" is a useful and enjoyable skill. Another useful trait is the ability to remember personal characteristics of employees and business associates …not just their names, but their outside interests, family concerns, etc. - Persuasive.
Possess good communication skills. You must be able to speak and write clearly. And you must be able to communicate in the style or jargon of your group or organization. Remember the KISS principle (keep it simple, sweetie). - Persistent.
Keep trying. Change is, and should be, slow. If change occurs too fast, people become uncertain about what is "right," good or appropriate. They lose their sense of security. But if the idea is good, the results may last decades and affect many people. Also realize that in historical perspective, changes are more likely to be adopted if they are introduced in small, incremental steps.
Read all 12 leadership "P's" at:
www.missouribusiness.net/docs/effective_leaders.asp
Send this newsletter to a friend
Visit www.missouribusiness.net/newsletter to read previous newsletters archived on our Web site.
For more information about doing business in Missouri, visit MissouriBusiness.net or contact one of our service centers.
Subscribe to this newsletter at www.missouribusiness.net/newsletter_sign_up.asp. Unsubscribe information is found at the bottom of each eNews letter. We will never share or sell your e-mail address to others.
