St. Charles County  -  Business and Workforce Development

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St. Charles County Impact
Small businesses continue to be a source of economic strength in Missouri and nationally. In Missouri, nearly 98 percent of all businesses are categorized as small businesses with fewer than 500 employees. In assisting the owners and managers of those businesses, MU Extension contributes to a county’s economic development and the well-being of its citizens.

In St. Charles County, during 2004, business development program specialists and business counselors in MO SBDC, MO PTAC, MO FAST, Market Development, and Career Options assisted 89 clients and their companies with business start-up and business management issues. Business owners and managers in those businesses reported the following economic impact and activity from the business development program for St. Charles County:

• New jobs: 93 new jobs

• Sales increases: $9,823,000 increase in sales

• Government contracts: $34,101 in government contracts

• New businesses: 2 new businesses started

• Jobs retained: 6 jobs retained

• Loans and investments in business: $15,315,500 of loans and investments in businesses

• Acquired assets: $2,265,000 in new facilities, new equipment and new technology for area businesses

• 201 St. Charles citizens participated in business training programs. These training programs included:
  
  - FastTrac Tech
  - Logan College Business Capstone
  - A Simple Guide To Marketing Your Child Care Center
  - FastTrac New Venture Displaced Workers
  - FastTrac Planning(Logan)
  - Starting a Small Business: The First Steps
  - Base and Post Contracting Issues
  - FastTrac Developing Your Family Child Care Business 8 of 8
  - Harvey-MoFAST FastTrac Tech
  - Harvey-MoFAST SBIR/STTR Grant Writing Workshop
  - How to grow your business with direct marketing
  - Quickbooks
  - Nichols-Symposium on NEMS/MEMS Systems and
    Nanotechnology at MU for Defense Needs
  - Pricing Strategies for Profitability
  - SBA Contracting Programs
  - Selling to the Government
  - Starting A Small Business: The First Steps
  - Starting and Managing a Small Business
  - Technology Entrepreneurial Partnership
  - The Basics of Writing a Business Plan
  - Understanding Financial Statements
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Missouri Impact
The total impact for all business owners and managers who were clients of University of Missouri Extension and MO Small Business Development Center business development programs was:

2,690 new jobs
Sales increases: $149,162,380 increase in sale
Government contracts: $55,928,243 in government contracts
New businesses: 97 new businesses started
Jobs retained: 650 jobs retained
Loans and investments in business: $131,175,367 of loans and investments in businesses
Business failures prevented: 9
Acquired assets: $27,449,535 in new facilities, new equipment and new technology for area businesses
Government investment in commercialization: $3,481,118
10,319 people received assistance by telephone, e-mail, group meetings, and printed material
4,775 Missouri citizens participated in business training programs and reported 256 new jobs, $5,114,450 in loans, and $9,435,995 increase in sales.

The business development faculty contributing to these businesses’ success are from MU Extension’s business development program, the Missouri Small Business Development Centers (MO SBDC), the Missouri Procurement and Technical Assistance Centers (MO PTAC) Missouri Federal and State Technology Assistance Partnership (MO FAST), the Missouri Market Development Program, and the Career Options program. Staff from these programs have regional and statewide assignments and work with businesses in all counties across the state.
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St. Charles County Achievements
Assistance is available for Missouri dislocated airline workers and those industries affected by the airline cutbacks through an Emergency Management Grant administered by the University of Missouri Extension’s Workforce Development Program.

The University of Missouri Extension is working in cooperation with the Missouri Career Centers to offer several classes, including resume writing/cover letters, interviewing, finances, work values/career interests, finding career information, career change, completing job applications, and job hunting and networking. These classes are provided to help the airline worker transition back into the workforce.

For those individuals interested in becoming an entrepreneur, the “FastTrac New Venture” class allows them to explore how to start a business. FastTrac, a 27-hour program, is a comprehensive educational program that provides entrepreneurs with business insights and leadership skills so that the participants are prepared to create a new business or expand an existing enterprise. These classes and materials are provided at no cost for dislocated workers.

Sponsors of the FastTrac program are University of Missouri Extension and the Missouri Small Business Development Centers, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Economic Development, Division of Workforce Development, Missouri Career Centers, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

For more information about services for dislocated airline workers, contact Virginia Wilson, University of Missouri Extension Workforce Development at (636) 970-3000.
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Business Development Program
15 Business Development Specialists headquartered at University of Missouri Extension Centers, the University of Missouri campuses at Columbia, Kansas City, St. Louis and Rolla and state colleges and universities across Missouri;

Missouri Small Business Development Centers (MO SBDC) – Funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, this $1,572,033 award is matched on the local level by state university hosts and private sector partners. Services include individualized business counseling and classroom and web-based educational opportunities.

Missouri Procurement Assistance Centers (MO PTAC) -- Funded by the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency for $495,000, this program helps businesses win government contracts for a wide range of products and services.

Missouri Federal and State Technology Partnership (MoFAST) – Funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the National Science Foundation for $300,000, this program works with university faculty and other innovators to win awards in support of the commercialization of technology.

Missouri Market Development Program – This program, which is funded at $145,000 by the Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Agency via the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, helps business owners find markets for recycled materials and helps other businesses in securing funding for manufacture of new goods using those recycled materials.

Career Options – Improving individual capacity is the focus of the Missouri Extension Career Options program, funded at $565,226 through a partnership with the Missouri Department of Economic Development Workforce Development unit. This program assists displaced workers and others in repositioning following company closings, layoffs and other employment situations.

Visit the state business development program website at http://missouribusiness.net.

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