Business development : article
On Dec. 31, 2017, the Department of Defense (DoD) established new cybersecurity regulations for contractors. Contractors must meet these new standards, or risk losing DoD contracts.
In general, contractors must assess their information systems, develop a security plan and create an action plan to…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri’s new Food Processing and Safety Lab helps people who make and sell processed foods ensure they are safe.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension is one of 14 partners to organize the new Heartland Regional Food Business Center serving Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas.
JOPLIN, Mo. – Sherry Noller has been appointed interim education director for University of Missouri Extension’s Business Development Program and interim state director for the Missouri Small Business Development Centers.
BCI is a nonprofit organization that was founded in St. Charles, Missouri, in 1959 to provide employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities. Elevate program cohorts do not usually include nonprofits, but BCI fit because they do manufacturing, create jobs, and contribute to the…
The challenge
Omaha Steel, a 112-year old company, is an established name in the steel castings industry. In 2014, new owners took possession of assets, including a state-of the-art production facility. Omaha Steel was operating at 40 percent of capacity, which is reflective of the U.S.
Many business owners agree that government contracting is very different from the other markets that small businesses pursue. Even individuals who have experience with different aspects of contracting find that becoming a federal contractor can be daunting and confusing.
Business owners and developers often overlook the importance of geotechnical engineering. That’s why, in 1989, Fred Palmerton and Brad Parrish broke ground on their own engineering firm, Palmerton & Parrish, Inc. in St. Louis, MO.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Over the last year, more than 600 University of Missouri business students have worked in dozens of communities across the state helping small businesses find solutions and opportunities even during these uncertain times.
CHILLICOTHE, Mo. - University of Missouri Extension will present a free play to help farmers talk about succession planning, 7-9 p.m. Friday, June 10, at the Gary Dickinson Performing Arts Center at Chillicothe High School.
In 1970, Russell Smith started his own pest control business, Preferred Pest Control. 50 years and three generations later, Perry and Dawn Cooperider now manage the business and have watched it grow for many years. Along with their small team of experienced exterminators, the Cooperiders keep the…
Do you do business with the local, state, or federal government? Or would you like to add the government as a customer?
(This story originally ran in 2013)
PSRI Technologies, can I help you?”
“Good morning, PSRI Technologies.”
The challenge
PWI, Inc., a Kansas manufacturer, pioneered aviation interior lighting in 1972 with custom-made fluorescent lights and more recently has become the resident expert in LED lighting.
In 2012, graduate students Stephen and Kathryn Clark took a risk in leaving their jobs to pursue opening their own business, Recon Supply. A veteran himself, Stephen wanted to help current and former military individuals by distributing medical devices like joint and spinal implants.
When a disaster hits a community it can be devastating. For business owners, it can be a doubly difficult.
MARK TWAIN LAKE, Mo. – Smoke billows from the sugar shack where U.S. Marine veteran Jeremy Beaver cooks maple syrup.
It is a crisp Sunday morning. A sweet, smoky smell and the sound of children playing fill the woods.
Many entrepreneurs find that government contracting is an excellent way to ensure that their small business grows. But for Kit Price, co-owner of Robinson’s Cleaners in Columbia, Missouri, government contracting goes beyond expanding her company.
Williams’s colleagues have described her as having a deep dedication to her work and her clients as well as delivering quality and caring, one-on-one counseling and training facilitation that makes a difference.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – High heat puts the public at risk. Since 1980, heat waves in Missouri have killed more people than lightning, tornadoes, thunderstorms and floods combined, says University of Missouri Extension climatologist Pat Guinan.
Coming out of the recession and opening her own company, Jennifer Hart wanted to ensure it would last, so she took every business class she could think of. The Elevate program is the latest of those classes. Programs like Elevate “help small companies push it forward,” Hart said.
When three of Marina Scheiner’s nieces were away at college, Scheiner wanted to send them boxes of goodies to ensure they felt supported, appreciated and encouraged. But even with good intentions,“it was so hard to get it done. That conundrum sparked an idea.
When Anita Archer and Erin Phipps, behavior analysts and owners of Unearth Potential in Joplin, Missouri, learned about the impending closure of the company they worked for, they worried about all the families that would be left without services for their children with differing abilities. With the…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri System supports military veterans with a variety of services and resources to help them on campus, in their communities and in their careers.
Are you a small business owner that is not currently exporting your goods and services, but is considering it? Are you concerned about how to make the right decision on this important question for your company and how to prepare your business for success in this area? If so, this column is for…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – When Gina Overshiner turned her passion for vegan cooking into a food truck business, she turned to University of Missouri Extension’s Missouri Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for advice.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – As a palliative care nurse at Boone Hospital, Jackie Reed saw families dealing with the declining health of loved ones have to make difficult financial decisions.
FULTON, Mo. – After Paige Speers suffered a brain injury when blood clots cut oxygen to her brain, her recovery experience made her want to help others.
FAYETTE, Mo. – When Bucky Pescaglia began thinking about retiring from his family business, MO Pac Lumber, after nearly 50 years, he Googled “I need help with doing a strategic plan for my business,” and the Missouri Small Business Development Center came up.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri Small Business Development Centers offer personalized and extensive services from knowledgeable and helpful professionals.
Just the other day, I had a discussion with a local small business owner about where his money went. His financials showed he made a profit, but he did not have it in his bank account. As we talked, I asked questions about his record-keeping. He pulled out his checkbook and indicated that that was…
Many small rural towns in Missouri have a large population of aging baby boomers. They are retiring at the rate of 10,000 per day or over 4 million annually, according to the Washington Post. But what are they doing with their business assets when they retire?
COLUMBIA, Mo. – As summer approaches, Missouri’s estimated 240 farmers markets are struggling with how they will comply with COVID-19-related restrictions. Regarded by many as vital and vibrant community hubs, farmers markets will need to rethink how to work with their vendors and still serve a…
In the first article, we shared some basic information on some of the “whys” of exporting, including the expected growth in the international market for US businesses and available resources in this area for the small business owner to succeed.
Wray founded Creative Edge in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in 1999, largely as a real estate marketing agency. His primary goal was to build a company that helped businesses “create their edge in the marketplace.” The company now produces nearly 50 real estate TV shows across the country. Recently,…
ST. PETERS, Mo. – Manufacturing is a key segment of Missouri’s economy, representing 12%, or nearly $40 billion, of Missouri’s gross state product.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – To guide the state’s internet expansion and training efforts, the Missouri Office of Broadband Development and University of Missouri Extension are conducting a brief online survey on household internet access and use.
Furloughing family is not something Dr. Steve Rice ever thought he would have to do. Then along came the new coronavirus.
Twelve Missouri small businesses accepted the challenge to take their businesses to the next level at the beginning of 2021.
Thalia Cherry started working with the Missouri SBDC at UMKC in 2016 and continues to work with her business coach to help her business grow. Check out our latest client highlight video to learn more about Thalia's entrepreneurial journey.
In the previous article, we looked at tools that were available online from US Census sources and through Missouri SBDC counselors to identify potential markets at the country level. This resulted in a prioritized list of countries to consider for e
Now that you have confirmed there are no export restrictions on your product or service, you are ready to develop your strategy to export your product. The effectiveness of the export plan you develop will hold the key to whether the international marketplace becomes a significant revenue stream…
Now that you’ve identified a country for export and have selected a path to your customers, it’s a good time to start to think about pricing. You’ll need to make the important decision on what you will charge for your product. In this issue, we’ll discuss the additional costs you can…
As a current or future small business owner, you will experience the opportunity to write a business plan. It is not an evil invention of the financial or business industry full of hoops to jump through in order to delay your dreams.
#maincontent .customcol { width: 33%; text-align: center;}@media only screen and (max-width:767px) {#maincontent .customcol { width:100%; margin-bottom: 10px; }}Columbia, MO – On Wednesday, January 29, 2020 members of the University of Missouri Extension - Business Development Program (BDP…
It isn’t common to see women and minorities who own a supply distribution company, but Kayla Dennis wants to change that. As a first-generation entrepreneur, Dennis refuses to shy away from challenges.
Every few years, Missouri gets enough rain to cause extensive flooding from the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. In the spring of 2019, precipitation caused flooding to easily pass federal flooding thresholds, and large amounts of damage to occur.
(This story originally ran in 2013)
Veterans on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri.
The University of Missouri Broadband Initiative is recruiting more volunteer Digital Ambassadors to help people in their communities take advantage of high-speed internet access.
In ancient Sparta, a mora was a unit of about 600 well-trained soldiers that moved as one. In modern Warrensburg, Missouri, Mora Technologies is a business automation startup with an ethos that echoes that of the Spartan warriors: professionalism and excellence.
That's a question many small business owners ask themselves way too often. In other articles, I have written about balance sheets and income statements as financial tools to help entrepreneurs manage their businesses.
ST. PETERS, Mo. – Openings remain for free Feb. 13 and March 7 workshops to help beginning farmers and ranchers, including military veterans, learn about resources offered by state and federal agencies.
University of Missouri Extension sponsors the workshops.
Many small business owners have mixed feelings about their bankers. One day they are happy and the next day they are upset with them. Plus, many small business owners are unaware of how to work with bankers other than to go in and ask for money when they need it.