Great Bend Economic Development Inc. has a lot on its plate right now, from the new Advancing Barton County Childcare daycare center in Great Bend to a host of programs aimed at fostering entrepreneurship. Lee Ann June, GBED communications director, took a moment Thursday afternoon to touch on what is happening on the eco devo front.
Daycare
Recently hired ABCC Site Director Kelsie Baxter “is very excited about getting started,” June said.
This week, they started posting and advertising the 11 remaining job postings for that center. These include lead teacher, assistant teachers and part-time providers.
Applications were available on the ABCC website, gbedinc.com/abcc, as of Monday. They will also be posted through KansasWorks and other job listings.
“As I take on this new role, I am looking forward to prioritizing both fun and safety in a new setting! Providing quality childcare services for all families is something I am very passionate about,” Baxter said.
Among the things she is excited about are the Watch Me Grow playground system and the smart SmartBoards the children will use.
The next step is to advertise the child wait list, but that won’t be available until later this month, June said. Once this happens, it will be promoted in the media as well.
Ground was broken on July 20 for the daycare center at Farmer’s Plaza, dubbed Farmers Plaza Childcare Center.
The approximately $1.9 million 6,500 square-foot facility, envisioned as the first of several to be built in Barton County, will accommodate up to 59 children. It had been in the works since 2021.
ABCC is planning a second facility in Hoisington, but that is remains in the planning stages.
For more information, visit www.gbedinc.com, or call 620-796-2407. Arnberger can be reached via email at director@gbedinc.com.
Entrepreneurial mindset
June said now she is focused “all things entrepreneurial.”
• First, she touched on GBED’s newest initiative in this area, the Entrepreneurial Mindset program.
“Great Bend Economic Development is excited to announce another partnership with NetWork Kansas, a collaboration aimed at empowering Barton County residents to think like an entrepreneur through the upcoming “Entrepreneurial Mindset” classes,” she said. Following the success of IGNITE Rural Business, a program that showcased the community’s enthusiasm for entrepreneurial ventures, the demand for further education in this field has been on the rise.
Led by co-facilitators, Jim Correll, executive director of the Innovative Business Resource Center, and Shelly Peacock, a local entrepreneur and past mentor with the IGNITE Competition, the classes aim to equip participants with the essential skills and mindset required for successful entrepreneurship.
The weekly classes are scheduled to begin on Jan. 10 and will run until Feb. 21, excluding Feb. 14. Sessions will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. every Wednesday at the Great Bend Economic Development Offices, situated inside the Great Bend Events Center, 3111 10th St.
Course participants will engage in thought-provoking discussions, explore video content averaging one hour per week. Correll emphasizes that the class revolves around eight key life lessons: Choice, opportunity, action, knowledge, wealth, brand, community and persistence.
“This course is open to adults of all ages, whether they are considering starting their own businesses, are already in business or are simply seeking new approaches to problem-solving,” June said. “Being a good problem solver makes a good employee.”
The deadline to register for the classes is Jan. 8. Registration fee is $100 per person; this includes dinner at the start of each class. As an added incentive, if registrants attend at least five sessions, they will receive a 50% refund.
• The IGNITE Rural Business Challenge is a “Shark Tank” inspired competition to drive entrepreneurship in Barton County, she said. IGNITE will feature businesses as they compete to win up to $50,000 and free business support for a year following to open or continue their business in Great Bend/Barton County.
The inaugural event took place this year and was hugely successful, June said. They have already launched next year’s installment and hope to build on that success.
• They have also started prepping or the fourth-annual Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, she said. “This competition is created to challenge our youth, encourage our business community to partner with and mentor our younger generations, and foster a community spirit for entrepreneurship.”
This competition will take place on March 6, 2024, at the Great Bend Events Center. All participants will put together a trade show presentation of their business idea and share it with the public They will also present their formal four-minute presentation to the judges.
The competition includes seventh graders through 12th graders going to school in Barton County.
After the tradeshow exhibition, the winners will be announced.
June said they are seeking student participants, a well as teacher champions, for this.
