NetWork Kansas Facilitates Launch of Economic
NetWork Kansas Facilitates Launch of Economic Gardening Pilot Program
Posted on 06/22/2010
Wichita, Kansas, June 16, 2010 - NetWork Kansas announced today that it will coordinate and provide matching funds for the launch of an Economic Gardening pilot program for businesses in rural communities throughout Kansas. In addition to existing NetWork Kansas funds, NetWork Kansas also received a $50,000 Rural Business Enterprise Grant from USDA Rural Development to help fund the pilot program.
NetWork Kansas has collaborated with an Economic Gardening Working Group convened by the Kansas Department of Commerce Rural Development Division since the fall of 2009 to determine the pilot program's objectives, scope, and criteria for evaluation. Current members of the working group crafting the vision and direction for this pilot program include representatives from the following organizations: Advanced Manufacturing Institute at Kansas State University; Kansas Department of Commerce Business Development Division; Kansas Economic Development Alliance; Kansas Inc.; Kansas Small Business Development Centers; Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation; NetWork Kansas; Western Kansas Rural Economic Development Alliance (wKREDA); and Wichita Technology Corporation.
Pioneered in 1989 by the city of Littleton, Colorado, Economic Gardening embraces strategies to grow existing 2nd stage businesses by providing them with valuable business-intelligence tools such as: A.) Sophisticated databases that identify market trends, potential partners or competitors and unknown resources buried deep inside industry information; B.) Geographic information systems; C.) Search-Engine Optimization (SEO) tools; and D.) Social media monitoring applications that can track websites, blogs and online communities to see what people are saying about companies and products. By supporting existing businesses in a community that is poised for growth, economic gardening encourages the development of essential infrastructure that sustains long-term, internally-propelled economic growth. "The Economic Gardening Working Group and dozens of other organizations dedicated to helping Kansas companies grow are very excited about the concept of providing sophisticated assistance to businesses in this stage of development, said NetWork Kansas Director Steve Radley, "This is where jobs will come from."
The Kansas Pilot Program will engage 35-40 Kansas businesses in rural communities statewide. These selected businesses will engage with an experienced national "Jump Start" team of technical assistance professionals who will deliver economic gardening services tailored to each business' particular situation. The Economic Gardening pilot program will be officially launched at a kickoff conference in Dodge City, KS on November 15, 2010 in conjunction with the Kansas Marketplace conference November 16-17, 2010. Economic Gardening Pioneer Chris Gibbons and Mark Lange from the Edward Lowe Foundation will be the featured speakers. After the conference, early growth and 2nd Stage Businesses will be encouraged to apply online. Application requirements will be available online and at the kickoff conference.
For more information about the Economic Gardening pilot, contact Steve Radley at 316-218-6304 or Erik Pedersen at 316-978-7310.
About NetWork Kansas:
For more information about NetWork Kansas, visit www.networkkansas.com, or call 877.521.8600. NetWork Kansas was established as a component of the Kansas Economic Growth Act of 2004 to further entrepreneurship and small business growth as a priority for economic and community development in the State of Kansas. Backed by nearly 500 partners statewide, the NetWork Kansas service promotes an entrepreneurial environment by connecting entrepreneurs and small business owners with the expertise, education and economic resources they need in order to succeed.