Success story:
Respond Right EMS Academy
EMS experience, solid business advice prepare two St. Peters entrepreneurs for constant change
Even before they met in 1997 as paramedics at Christian Hospital in north St. Louis County, Donna Weiss and Toni Milan knew they wanted to make a difference in people's lives. They continually demonstrated their people-oriented nature as first-responders to daily emergencies and frequent life-and-death situations.
"Being able to help people through traumatic events is what we're trained to do, and it gives us the chance to serve in the best way we know how," says Toni. "The only thing better is to teach others how to respond in an emergency."
Teaching is now the avenue the spunky, energetic and dedicated duo pursues. They own and operate Respond Right EMS Academy in St. Charles County. Toni and Donna arrived at this stage in their lives through a series of steps.
They first established a training program in 2001 for members of the public who wanted to know more about CPR and the basics of emergency response. The two paramedics offered the program part time while they both continued working as full-time practitioners. Donna joined the Monarch Fire Protection District in Chesterfield in 2000. Toni began working with the Lincoln County Ambulance District in 2003.
They both loved their field work, but they also loved training others. And they truly liked the idea of running their own business. By 2008 they were ready to devote their full time and attention to running an EMS training academy.
To get started Toni and Donna initially set up an office in the St. Charles Economic Development Center. Soon after arriving at the EDC they met with Ron Mueller, a counselor with the Missouri Small Business & Technology Development Centers, who began guiding them through the many factors that go into establishing a business.
Read this complete story with additional photos.
Gov. Nixon announces availability of $27 million in loans to benefit Missouri small businesses through state government initiative
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon conducted a series of three roundtable discussions around the state (in St. Peters, Springfield and Jackson) in early April with MO SBTDC and MO PTAC business clients. The discussions coincided with the Governor's announcement of details about $27 million in innovative loans that are available to help Missouri small businesses create jobs and grow. Applications for these loans are available at MO.gov.
In March, the U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Gov. Nixon jointly announced the approval of Missouri's application for $27 million in federal funding through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). Nixon's administration is investing these funds to help create new jobs and spur more than $269 million in additional small-business lending in the state. The Missouri Department of Economic Development and the Missouri Technology Corporation will manage the program.
"Along Main Streets in every corner of Missouri, small businesses are a critical force for creating jobs and growing our economy," Nixon said. "These new resources will help Missouri entrepreneurs ... grow their operations and turn their dreams into bricks and mortar. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and they are a driving force for creating jobs and putting Missourians to work. We will invest these tools wisely and strategically in businesses that will keep our economy moving forward. I encourage Missouri small-business owners to visit MO.gov today to apply."
Through the SSBCI, Nixon's administration will invest $26.9 million in SSBCI funds in small businesses across Missouri. Under federal guidelines, the state expects to generate a minimum "bang for the buck" of at least $10 in new private lending for every $1 in federal funding. As such, this $26.9 million investment is expected to support more than $269 million in new private lending.
Read the complete story, and see the lists of the business participating in the roundtable discussions.
MU-based business counselor to lead national government procurement group
COLUMBIA, Mo. - A member of the Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (MO PTAC) at the University of Missouri has been elected president of the national Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC) counselors at the group's 26th annual conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Bill Stuby, procurement counselor with MO PTAC at the MU College of Engineering in Columbia, began a one-year term as president of APTAC March 23.
As leader of APTAC, Stuby will be instrumental in developing, implementing and managing the organization's professional development mission. APTAC represents more than 600 procurement counselors at 92 PTAC offices, ranging from Guam to Puerto Rico and throughout the United States.
"I am pleased to accept the presidency of APTAC during these challenging economic times," says Stuby. "The national conference provides PTAC professionals with an opportunity to train and update their skills on the latest governmental procedures to help business clients interested in obtaining contracts with government offices."
Stuby has been with MO PTAC — part of MU Extension's business development program — for more than 10 years and serves as a counselor for business clients seeking to bid on business contracts from federal, state and local government agencies. He covers a 34-county territory in central and northeast Missouri.
MO PTAC counselors are located in St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, Springfield, Macon, St. Joseph and West Plains. They assist Missouri businesses in identifying government contracting opportunities for products or services associated with each company. Counselors also help client firms complete government forms, understand regulations, and fulfill necessary registrations and certifications. MO PTAC specialists also work to develop product-specific databases to help clients pinpoint timely bid leads.
To contact the MO PTAC counselor nearest you, go to www.moptac.net or call 1-573-882-8058.
Read more about MO PTAC services.
New online course designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs take the "First Steps"
A new course from the Missouri Small Business and Technology Development Centers — First Steps to Starting a Business — is now available online.
"The course provides an overview of the critical first steps associated with starting a business," says Chris Bouchard, interim state director of the MO SBTDC. "It's designed specifically for enterprising people who are thinking about establishing a new business venture and want answers quickly."
Participants will assess their strengths and weaknesses in terms of business ownership, learn about the importance of planning, explore legal and regulatory requirements and identify sources of financing.
Topics covered include:
- The basics of business ownership and planning, including an introduction to the business-planning process and tools to assess participants' personal, managerial, technical and financial skills, as well as their financial capacity.
- Forms of business ownership and other regulatory issues that affect all businesses.
- Marketing basics, fundamental concepts and self-analysis of marketing potential.
- Financial basis, including terminology and credit requirements, plus potential sources of funding and a determination of creditworthiness.
- A review of the resources in Missouri available to help with business start-up.
Upon completing the course, enrollees will be able to:
- Identify resources that will assist in starting a business in Missouri.
- Identify areas in which additional business assistance or training is needed.
- Determine if business ownership is the right career path.
At the end of the course, participants will complete an evaluation of their business ideas and will be ready to work one-to-one with a MO SBTDC business specialist or continue on to the "FastTrac NewVenture" series of training sessions.
"The online course is self-paced and registrants can move straight through the course, or find answers to specific questions, and use the materials to help them plan and start their businesses," says Bouchard.
The course is available for $49.95 at https://extweb.missouri.edu/courses/default.aspx?courseid=65; enrollees will have a 90-day access period to the course and materials.
SBA news
SBA small firm lending data from 2009-10 reveal harbingers of growth
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Lending to small firms by U.S. financial institutions continued to decline, but began to stabilize in some loan-size categories during the 2009-2010 period. This is according to the Office of Advocacy's recently released latest edition of Small Business Lending in the United States.
The study finds that small business lending dropped by 6.2 percent, less than the 8.9 percent drop experienced in large-firm lending during 2009-2010. GDP has turned upward, and business lending may follow the pattern of other recessions, in which commercial and industrial lending grew only after recovery was well under way.
"Businesses and lenders continued to exercise caution in borrowing and lending through 2009-2010," said Winslow Sargeant, chief counsel for advocacy. "As the economy improves, this study, through its state-by-state display of lender performance, can help both small business borrowers and lending institutions see where small firms are beginning to find the capital they need."
The study finds that lending in the smallest business loans under $100,000 began to stabilize in 2009-2010 — the total was down by 1 percent, compared with a 5.5 percent drop in 2008-2009, and real estate loans accounted for the entire decline.
Workshops coming to Kansas City
and St. Louis in May
Kansas City is site of 12th Annual
DOE
Small Business Conference & Expo May 10-12
The U.S. Department of Energy will present its 12th annual Small Business Conference & Expo May 10-12, at the KC Convention Center in downtown Kansas City.
The event will feature panel discussions, workshops, exhibits and bid-matching possibilities for businesses interested in DOE contracting opportunities. More than 1,600 attendees will represent all levels of federal, state, and local government agencies, the small business community, large/prime contractors, minority educational institutions, and many more, according to DOE officials.
Among the presenters will be Marie Steinwachs, director of the Missouri Environmental Assistance Center with the MU Extension Business Development Program; Bill Stuby and Donna Leonard, counselors with the BDP's Missouri Procurement and Technical Assistance Centers; and Mark Allen, business development specialist with UMKC's Small Business & Technology Development Center.
For registration and cost information, go to smallbusinessconference.energy.gov.
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Innovation and engineering leadership workshop set for May 23-25 in St. Louis
A three-day business improvement workshop — the Innovation Engineering Leadership Institute — is set for May 23-25 at the Airport Hilton Hotel in St. Louis.
The business improvement workshop, sponsored by Missouri Enterprise, is designed to help companies transform the way they do business now and in the next generation. Workshop presenter Doug Hall, founder of the Eureka Ranch Consulting Group, will offer a systematic approach leading to profitable business growth through the:
- Creation of ideas for more profitable products, services, processes and markets
- Communication of ideas to customers, investors and partners efficiently and effectively
- Commercialization of more profitable innovations to market faster, cheaper and more successfully.
Registration cost per person is $995 for nonprofits and companies with less than 500 employees; rates for companies larger than 500 employees are $1,995 per person. For more information or to register online, visit www.innovationengineering.info/missouri.
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