Community Improvement District meeting, various learning sessions aim for success

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, February 16, 2022

HANNIBAL — The Hannibal Regional Economic Development Council and the Small Business Development Center will share the future direction for a Community Improvement District for Hannibal and a variety of educational opportunities for business owners and employees.

Maria Kuhns, entrepreneurship specialist with HREDC’s SBDC, said she selected topics which are tailored toward needs unique to local businesses. The past couple years have presented new and unusual circumstances for business owners and employees, and Kuhns said the learning opportunities and meetings are focused on addressing the best path forward.

“We want our business owners to feel like they’re best equipped to problem-solve the issues that arise — or even vice versa, as they’re experiencing growth, to go about that growth strategically,” she said. “We have a lot of really promising businesses and a lot of exciting things going on in the community, and we want people to feel equipped to handle those things.”

Dan Pinkham, of Lakehurst Consulting, will lead the Ignite meeting titled “Harness Your Problem-Solving Super Power” at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, at Holiday Inn Express, 120 Shinn Lane. Pinkham works with manufacturers for process improvement.

Kuhns explained how Pinkham takes his experience in the manufacturing industry and applies it to other fields through interactive activities designed to encourage audience participation.

“It will be very engaging, and we’re really excited to have him — just to get business owners out of the workplace and doing something fun and maybe learning a few things they can take back to handle issues or projects that come up in the future,” she said.

More information about the “Harness Your Problem-Solving Super Power” event, including updates related to the weather, can be found by visiting fb.me/e/1JB84iace.

The public is invited to a public session focused on Hannibal’s forthcoming Community Improvement District. The informational meeting will detail the benefits for businesses and community members, potential district boundaries and potential funding mechanisms like an additional sales tax levy within the CID or a tax-neutral real estate tax abatement plan.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, on the second floor of the Mark Twain Museum, 120 N. Main St.

A special lunch and learn session will be held in conjunction with the Hannibal Area Chamber of Commerce at noon Tuesday, Feb. 22. The event will focus on Facebook and Instagram posts and ads, along with how to interpret online analytics and manage a Google My Business page.

Marketing consulting agency representatives will lead the presentation, providing examples and showing attendees how to best access and use tools for online engagement.

“I’m really excited for that. Northeast Missouri is blessed with having a lot of people come in for tourist events, and festivals and things like that,” Kuhns said. “And we really want to be able to stay in touch with those people after they go home. We want to have more of a global presence. By working on building your online presence, you really get to stay in touch with your customers, even after they go home and they’re no longer in your place of business.”

The event will include lunch sponsored by the Hannibal Area Chamber of Commerce. RSVP opportunities are available by visiting missouri.ecenterdirect.com/events/23475.

The following day, a virtual workshop will introduce participants to Quick Books, which Kuhns noted is probably the most common financial management software in use for bookkeeping like accounts payable and receivable, payroll and taxes. The $25 session will help people learn how to use the software tools.

Kuhns said the class also encourages good record keeping, which she noted is important as she works with past financial details and projected figures with business owners. The introductory course is ideal for people who have not used Quick Books before. Participants can RSVP by visiting missouri.ecenterdirect.com/events/23472.

Kuhns expressed the enthusiasm she and HREDC Executive Director Corey Mehaffy share with business owners and people who are considering starting their own business.

“I think 2022’s going to be a good year,” she said. “I think the biggest thing Corey and I talk about is just encouraging Northeast Missouri or the Hannibal region to take risks, because that’s something we need to build a culture around — is encouraging people to take risks and start businesses. So, that’s what we’re really trying to foster in 2022.”

Kuhns invited business owners and other stakeholders to contact her or stop by the HREDC office to share ideas for future information sessions and programs.

More information about HREDC and SBDC programs is available by calling 573-221-1033 or visiting their respective Facebook pages.