NEKEF makes budget request to county commission

Members of the Northeast Kansas Enterprise Facilitation recently presented an annual report and a budget request to the Jackson County Commissioners.

Since 2003, the county has financially backed the NEKEF, which is a non-profit organization that supports new and current business owners by providing free and confidential business management guidance. 

NEKEF is supported by Jackson, Atchison, Doniphan, Brown and Nemaha counties.

Since its formation, Teresa McAnerney, the initiative’s facilitator, said that NEKEF has worked with 214 clients in Jackson County, supporting 34 new, expanded or retained businesses. Five of those 34 clients are new this past year. A total of 150 jobs were created or retained in Jackson County since 2003, which includes 10 in the last year.

Eighteen Jackson County businesses – four in the past year – have received a “tune up” with help from NEKEF. A “tune up” could include updating or expanding software, equipment or facilities.

Overall, 902 introductions between a new or existing Jackson County business owner have been made with McAnerney since 2003, it was noted, which includes 33 from last year.

McAnerney said that 74 percent of NEKEF’s overall clients are looking to start a new business and the remaining 26 percent are looking for assistance with their existing business. 

Since June 2003, NEKEF has had 8,453 contacts with clients in the five-county region.

The NEKEF board of directors meets the first Thursday of every month. The board includes 64 members who represent each of the five counties. Currently, 12 people from Jackson County sit on the board.

“We’re always looking for more board members because the more active members we have the bigger the results,” McAnerney said. “Our board members are our ambassadors. They’ll hear a conversation at another meeting or somewhere and can direct people to us for help.”

A portion of the board’s meetings is spent brainstorming solutions for specific issues facing clients.

Also present at the commission meeting were NEKEF board members Lois Pelton, Carolyn McKee and Mary Ann Riederer. Riederer is also a consultant for the Washburn University Small Business Development Center, which works alongside NEKEF in some situations.

“I think Teresa is an untapped resource for so many more,” Pelton said. “The numbers are big, but I think they could be so much bigger. So I encourage everyone to tell as many people about the organization because you never know when that person knows somebody that needs Teresa’s help.”

McAnerney said a professor from Benedictine College has donated his time to develop a mobile phone app for NEKEF. The app will allow people to “check in” to small businesses they visit for incentives.

The app will also include information on where to shop, play and stay in the county and how to start a business in the county.

McAnerney said the app is expected to be launched in the fall.

NEKEF is also hosting its sixth annual entrepreneurship academy this summer June 20-23 at Highland Community College.

Last year, the commissioners allocated $10,740 to NEKEF, and those funds go towards McAnerney’s salary and marketing, it was reported. McAnerney said the NEKEF board is requesting that the county allocate $12,900 to the organization next year.

McAnerney said that NEKEF lost state funding last year, which is why the organization is asking for an increase from all the counties. 

The county allocates just a limited number of funds for economic development each year.

Between October 2011 and December 2013, the county was in contract with the Rural Development Association of Northeast Kansas for economic development assistance.

In 2013, the county allocated $30,000 to the RDA of NEK and $6,000 was allocated to the Holton/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at that time to serve as the point of contract for the RDA of NEK.

In 2009, the county cut ties with the Jackson County Development Corporation after citing concerns with administrative fees and accountability.

The county allocated $165,000 to JCDC in 2008 and $161,500 in 2009.

Between 2005 and 2012, a special .4 percent sales tax was in place. Half of the tax collected was used for economic development, with the other have used for road and bridge updates. Some funds were also allocated to county cities.

A new .4 percent retailers’ sale tax passed by vote and took effect in the county in 2013.

The seven-year tax is now being divided among just the road and bridge department and Jackson County cities.