shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com January 15, 2019 • Page 7 Rural Business Owners Credit SDSU Extension Small Business Basics By Lura Roti For SDSU Extension iGrow. Ruth Leines wanted to open her own business. At first the Wagner resident thought it would be a Christian bookstore and coffeeshop. But, a few weeks into SDSU Extension’s Small Business Basics she realized this idea may not succeed. So, she did some research and 18 months ago launched This That & More. Home to several vendors and the community’s only flower shop, This That & More provides shoppers with everything from antiques, gifts and memorial items to locally built furniture, jewelry, upcycled and handmade items and home decor – most of which is on consignment from 10 local vendors. And, Leines and another vendor offer community classes where participants can pay a fee and with instruction from an expert, create with friends and neighbors. “It’s not what I dreamed of, but I love my store. I absolutely love it,” Leines says. “God definitely had a plan. Such a plan.” Along with her faith, Leines credits the advice, resources and guidance she received from Small Business Basics, her banker and others with This That & More’s success. “First of all, the instructors and my classmates lifted me up. They didn’t knock my vision. And, they provided me with the information I needed, like help putting together a business plan and figuring out finances,” Leines explains. Small Business Basics is a series of workshops designed to help entrepreneurs of all stages – just starting out, like Leines, or those who have been in business for decades. “These workshops are customizable, content depends on what the community’s needs are,” explains Peggy Schlechter, SDSU Extension Community Vitality Field Specialist and Small Business Basics facilitator. “The workshops are designed to provide opportunities for current and potential business owners to complete or update business plans and connect them to valuable resources that will give their businesses a boost.” A boost was just what Wagner’s Main Street business community needed when Kelsey Doom asked SDSU Extension to bring Small Business Basics to the rural community in 2016. “When I started in this job, there were a dozen buildings on Main Street vacant or for sale. Today, there are only three left,” explains Doom, who is Director of Economic Development and Executive Director for Wagner Chamber of Commerce. Focusing resources locally, Doom says is the most effective economic development plan for Wagner. “It is rare to bring a business to town, so I knew that we should work on building and growing our own businesses,” Doom says. “Small Business Basics helped get citizens over the hump and understand enough so they felt comfortable to take that leap.” When Leines was looking for a Main Street building to house her business, she ended up buying a building along with some inventory from a Wagner business owner ready to retire. Today, she rents a portion of her building to another local business, iFix Devices Repair. Business opportunities created when owners reach retirement age are not uncommon, Schlechter explains. “When businesses close in rural communities, it is not always because they are failing, but because the owner is ready to retire and does not have anyone interested in taking over the business for them.” This is one of many facts she shares with Small Business Basics classes. “I have met people who say, “I want to be a business owner, but I don’t know how to go about it.” Then, there are individuals who go through the classes and decide they do not want to own their own business after all. It is much better to figure M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y IN THE M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y MV Shopper MV Shopper There’s something for everyone... CLASSIFIEDS! this out ahead of time,’” Schlechter explains. Due to the rural nature of many South Dakota towns, Small Business Basics connects participants to experts who may not be found within their own community. “I’m not the presenter, I’m the facilitator. We bring the experts to the class to present and answer questions. Participants say they appreciate the face-to-face interaction and ability to connect with experts who can answer their questions,” Schlechter says. Connecting to resources is the reason Jason Mook enrolled in Small Business Basics after owning his own business for more than a decade. The owner of Deadwood Custom Cycles was in the midst of making some big changes to his business model, and he thought he could use some advice. “You can’t ever sit back and think you know everything. The class surpassed my expectations. It blew me away, all the things that I didn’t know,” Mook says. In Mook’s case, things like employee paperwork and social media. “Before, I worked with subcontractors. Now, I was hiring employees. This class was everything under one roof. Instead of talking about sales tax or labor for just a few minutes and sending us home to do our own research, the class brought in someone from the Department of Revenue to visit with us - they brought in someone to discuss how sales tax works,” Mook says. When Mook took the class, he was in a partnership. The business was located in Spearfish. But his heart was in Deadwood. “I remember seeing the little town of Deadwood for the first time and falling in love with it. I love it so much that I got the Dead Man’s Hand tattooed on my arm.” Shortly after he graduated from Small Business Basics, Mook became a sole proprietor and moved into a historic 1915 brick building in Deadwood. Along with Employee Benefits Survey Results Released PIERRE, S.D. – Results of a South Dakota Employee Benefits Survey are now available online from the Department of Labor and Regulation. The Labor Market Information Center conducted the employer survey over the last few months, publishing results on its website today. Employee benefits are various types of non-wage compensation provided to employees in addition to their normal wages or salaries. Information about employee benefits is useful not only to employers who want to offer competitive benefits, but also to job seekers, students and other career planners, vocational counselors and policy makers. “Survey results help provide insight into what benefits are being offered in South Dakota, along with an estimate of the costs employers face to offer certain benefits,” said state Labor and Regulation Secretary Marcia Hultman. Results cover benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life and the Missouri Valley Shopper disability insurIn print and online! ance, retirement plans, several types of paid leave, and other miscellane- In Print and Online! • Call 665-5884 Full Time ProjecT esTimaTor and order Processor ble Availa w No 3608 E. Hwy 50 Yankton,SD 605-689-7321 www.jamessteelinc.com MV Shopper MV Shopper M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y Book 67 Take the ?rst step toward a new career. Bene?ts available for full time employees • Learning & Career Development • Health, Dental & Vision • Employee Banking Incentives • 401k with Employer Match & Annual Company Contribution • Community Involvement • Paid Time Off plus Bank Holidays We are looking for high energy, self-motivated individuals to join our Customer Care teams in Yankton, SD and Bloom?eld, NE. If you are passionate about helping people, we want to talk to you! Starting at $15/hour in Yankton, SD, $13/ hour in Bloom?eld, NE +$1.50/hour evening shifts, + $1.50/hour bilingual skills. Yankton, SD / Bloom?eld, NE Apply online at fnbo.com/careers EO • AA • Veteran • Disability Employer • Member FDIC ous benefits most common among businesses. The data on the offering of these employee benefits is also available for specific industry sectors and employer size classes. Highlights from the Employee Benefits Survey include: •12 is the average number of days of paid vacation leave provided to employees by firms employing full-time workers. •29.7 percent of employers pay more than $600 per month per employee to provide single medical insurance coverage for workers. •55 percent of firms employing full-time workers offer an employee medical insurance policy. •54 percent of firms employing fulltime workers offer a retirement plan. Results of the survey can be viewed online at dlr.sd.gov/lmic. Contact the Labor Market Information Center at 605-626-2314 for more information. www.missourivalleyshopper.com Construction & Estimating Experience Preferred. Good communication and computer skills are required. The starting wage $20-$25 per hour depending on experience. CUSTOMER CARE REPRESENTATIVES customizing Harley motorcycles for enthusiasts across the nation, Mook’s business has a repair shop and “the world’s longest high-top bar.” “It’s a place where locals and visitors can get their bikes fixed and sit and visit about bikes,” Mook explains. “The way I look at it, I also have a responsibility to South Dakota tourism. There is nothing worse than if you are a motorcycle guy and you save up for months to come to ride the Black Hills and when you get here, something goes wrong.” Because Small Business Basics attracts a diverse group of participants, Schlechter says participants also gain a lot from networking with each other. And, because of the established confidentiality of what is discussed among participants during the course, Small Business Basics is a safe environment where entrepreneurs can air their ideas, share frustrations and ask for advice and solutions. “The culture of Wagner has changed. It’s not Small Business Basics solely. It’s an effort made by our entire community to become more entrepreneurial and support local business,” Doom explains. “Small Business Basics is another way for Wagner to say, “if you have an idea, you can do it here. Let us help you. We are a can-do community.’” To bring Small Business Basics to your community, contact Peggy Schlechter, SDSU Extension Community Vitality Field Specialist and Small Business Basics facilitator by email. About SDSU Extension SDSU Extension is the outreach arm of South Dakota State University, the state’s Land Grant university. Since 1881, SDSU Extension has provided research-based information and educational programming to improve the lives and livelihoods of South Dakotans. Easy Sudoku Puzzles by KrazyDad Fill the puzzle so that every row, every column, and every section contain the numbers 1-9 withoutRrepeating a number. Sudoku #2 M I S S O U I VA L L E Y Sudoku #1 1 3 5 8 7 9 5 4 8 6 9 4 3 9 3 8 6 5 3 6 2 7 4 6 2 8 3 4 3 6 7 6 1 2 7 1 8 8 2 6 5 3 9 2 7 4 8 1 7 7 3 7 8 3 2 5 8 1 2 1 4 6 2 1 8 6 7 © 2008 KrazyDad.com Book 67: Answers Sudoku #3 Sudoku #1 9 7 3 5 2 8 4 1 5 6 1 2 8 3 5 9 7 1 9 6 6 4 2 3 1 9 7 8 4 2 8 7 3 5 6 4 9 2 1 8 6 4 1 2 3 5 6 9 4 9 3 8 7 1 7 2 4 6 2 4 8 3 5 5 8 9 7 1 3 2 6 5 4 6 5 1 9 3 9 1 7 2 8 7 8 3 5 4 9 © 2008 KrazyDad.com ea BOOK 67 #3 easy Challenging Sudoku Last Tuesday’sPuzzles by KrazyDad Sudoku Solution #2 4 2 5 9 8 6 5 4 3 9 6 1 8Sudoku #3 2 6 4 9 6 7 7 6 5 4 1 3 7 7 8 3 2 4 #4 Sudoku 9 1 2 9 6 8 5 2 4 8 9 7 1 3 9 6 8 5 4 5 7 1 3 6 2 4 6 5 7 2 3 9 3 2 4 1 8 8 1 7 5 9 6 9 8 1 5 3 4 5 6 7 2 8 4 9 9 8 1 5 6 7 4 2 3 3 9 7 8 1 4 2 2 6 7 3 1 su do ku 6 9 4 5 8 © 2008 KrazyDad.com3 2 Check next Tuesday’s paper for 1 2 the solution to today’s puzzle. 8 6 4 5 ch BOOK 67 #2 1 5 3 Sudoku #4 6 5