Learn, Network at Business in Motion

Are you a business owner who wants to learn more about time management, marketing or other issues your business may be facing? Glean knowledge from other proprietors and learn from a national business program at PCDC’s monthly Business in Motion meeting.

Business in Motion started as a way for Phelps County entrepreneurs to set aside time from the daily grind of running a business to network, set goals and plan for the future of their businesses.

The group meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 8:30 a.m. at Fourth Avenue Coffee, 612 E. 4th Ave.

Wendell Connell, partner in Edgren Building, said he has been attending the Business in Motion meetings because he appreciates the feedback and knowledge he gains from the other business owners.

“It is a good resource for small businesses in rural areas because you can come together and bounce ideas off of each other,” Connell said. “You get real time feedback because you are talking to other people who live in this community.”

He said even though some of the discussions might center on a retail business, he can always find something that applies to his service-oriented business as well. He has gained valuable knowledge about marketing and using social media from the group and feels the time spent at the meetings is valuable.

“If you take the time to work on your business, then it will grow,” Connell said he has learned. “If you don’t take the time, it will stagnate.”

Carrie Naylor, owner of the Bertrand Herald, said that as a newcomer to the county, the group helped her to learn and to network.

“It was nice to get together with other people in business in the community and get to know them and learn about their businesses,” she said.

PCDC recently contracted with the Jon Schallert Destination University and will begin offering its online trainings to Business in Motion attendees.

Destination University was created in 2006 by The Schallert Group when they were asked by the Kansas Main Street Program and Main Street New Jersey to create an affordable online training program that could reach thousands of business owners in multiple downtowns and rural communities at the same time.

PCDC Project Coordinator Alli Donohue said the local group will prioritize the 2016 topics at its meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 12.

Donohue said all Phelps County business owners are invited. She encourages business owners to make a commitment to the group with regular attendance to maintain group cohesion. There is no charge, and free coffee is provided to attendees.