To ensure business owners are offered the products and services they need, it is imperative to simply ask. Business needs change as the economy shifts and technology modernizes, and entrepreneurs fluctuate in interests, financial situations, and energy levels. As citizens, large business owners, and business lenders and providers, we need to pay attention to those needs and assist if we want our downtowns, communities, and local economies to thrive.
Entrepreneurship provides employment as well as products and services that citizens need. It is especially important in rural communities, where small businesses add to the richness and character of a place.
Feedback from people who serve small businesses is an important piece of the puzzle, as they provide valuable insight. Local lenders and resource providers know what businesses need to be successful; they see businesses from a community level, and understand the importance of those businesses to the communities and local economies.
“The Sunflower State – Assessing Our Business Garden: 2017 Kansas Small Business Needs Assessment Results,” is authored by Adrienne Vallejo-Foster, executive director of Kansas Hispanic & Latino American Affairs Commission; and Dena R. Beck, senior project leader and loan specialist with the Center for Rural Affairs.
Los autores realizaron una encuesta en la primavera de 2017, recabando información de propietarios de pequeñas empresas y proveedores de recursos de Kansas para identificar fortalezas y áreas que requieren atención. Recibieron 533 respuestas, que representan el 84 por ciento de los condados de Kansas.
La encuesta se basa en el modelo de Evaluación de Necesidades de las Pequeñas Empresas de Nebraska, que se realiza cada dos años desde 2008. Las preguntas se centran en la financiación, las necesidades iniciales, las necesidades actuales, los factores que limitan el crecimiento empresarial y las necesidades de formación y tecnología.
