1. Business Summary
GLC_Plan is a working plan built from the December 18, 2025 Grow Leavenworth County (GLC) board meeting discussion. The meeting covered three core tracks: (1) stabilizing and executing the upcoming Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC), (2) tightening board operations and visibility (including board seat designations and branding), and (3) building a new entrepreneurship pipeline event series that helps idea-stage entrepreneurs move from concept to launch with the right resources, in the right order.
The most important opportunity is execution between meetings: outreach, timelines, templates, marketing, and follow-up structures that keep momentum without adding workload to volunteer board members.
- YEC is scheduled for February 4 (9:00 AM–1:00 PM) at the Lansing Community Center, with a backup date planned due to winter weather risk.
- Sponsorships are covering event costs; additional sponsorships can expand prizes or fund future entrepreneurship programming.
- An entrepreneurship “exchange/expo” concept emerged: a relaxed, social, resource-driven series (three events) that connects entrepreneurs with lenders, CPAs, marketing, legal, SBDC, and experienced operators.
- Branding needs clarity: the current logo reads like landscaping/agriculture; a tagline and mission statement alignment are needed.
2. Needs & Pain Points
- Low early registration for YEC and limited direct access to previous participant lists for outreach.
- Entrepreneurs often enter the ecosystem without basics (business registration, market research, P&L/balance sheet tracking, forecasting, credit readiness).
- High volunteer load: board members are balancing jobs, family, and multiple obligations; execution tasks can stall between meetings.
- Brand clarity gap: logo/tagline does not immediately communicate what GLC does (entrepreneurship support, gap financing, community loans).
- Event attendance challenge: reaching the people “thinking about it” (idea-stage) before they’ve already made expensive mistakes.
3. Improvement Blueprint
Create a lightweight execution system that turns discussion into outcomes. This means standardizing outreach, building repeatable templates, and running a simple pipeline from awareness → attendance → follow-up → resource connection → measurable progress.
- YEC execution playbook: timeline, outreach list, sponsor checklist, judge/mentor staffing, day-of run-of-show, and post-event reporting.
- Entrepreneur pipeline: a three-event series that starts informal and becomes progressively more practical and hands-on.
- Brand clarity: finalize logo direction, add a tagline, and publish a one-sentence description of what GLC does and how it helps businesses.
- Partner integration: make it easy for Main Street, SBDC, lenders, and mentors to plug in without extra coordination burden.
4. Actionable Roadmap
Immediate Fixes (0–7 Days)
- Pull prior-year YEC participant and teacher contact lists (from VentureDash and/or archived exports) and stage them for outreach.
- Create a single outreach message kit: email + text + social post + flyer blurb with registration link and deadlines.
- Confirm judge and mentor interest from new members and partner organizations; track in a simple roster.
Short-Term (1–4 Weeks)
- Run YEC registration push immediately after winter break: school contacts, teachers, prior participants, and district partners.
- Finalize day-of logistics: setup time (8:00 AM), student arrival (around 8:30 AM), schedule blocks, and staffing coverage.
- Lock sponsor invoicing and acknowledgements so payments are ready by early January (Jan 2 was referenced for processing).
- Prepare required post-event summary submission items early to avoid missing the April 1 deadline tied to the teacher prize.
Medium-Term (1–3 Months)
- Host Entrepreneurship Exchange #1 (informal, mingle format) in spring with a clear, simple purpose: connect idea-stage entrepreneurs to people who can answer real questions privately.
- Collect attendee questions on-site (cards/QR form) to shape Exchange #2 and #3 topics.
- Publish a simple “Start Here” rubric (aligned with what Main Street already uses): idea → registration → basics → projections → funding readiness → location decision.
Long-Term (3–12 Months)
- Run Exchange #2 and #3 as practical “work-with-your-device” sessions (e.g., Google Business Profile setup, basic bookkeeping, lending readiness checklist).
- Rotate locations across the county to reduce travel friction and broaden reach (Leavenworth, Lansing, Basehor, Tonganoxie).
- Build an annual entrepreneurship calendar that complements city symposiums rather than competes with them.
Operational Enhancements
- Create a shared board folder with: templates, sponsor list, invoices, outreach copy, and event checklists.
- Standardize new-member onboarding: roles, bylaws summary, and “how we operate” one-pager.
- Track commitments in a simple action register: owner, due date, status, next update.
Marketing & Visibility
- Target idea-stage entrepreneurs with paid/targeted outreach where possible (people researching “start a business” topics locally).
- Message the event as low-pressure, confidential, and practical (one-on-one access; no formal presentations).
- Leverage partners (schools, Main Street, banks, SBDC, Chamber) to distribute the registration link repeatedly.
Financial & Partner Alignment
- Draft a clear event budget and share with Network Kansas support early (venue, light food, materials; no alcohol purchases).
- Use host-venue discounts (nonprofit rates) and optional attendee-paid drink discounts to keep board costs low.
- Clarify and document funding pathways: community loans vs e-community loans vs gap financing rules and timelines.
5. ThriveKS Action Plan
Thrive Local Foundation will act as the quiet execution layer after meetings: capturing decisions, building the materials, and running follow-through so the board’s time stays focused on governance and high-level direction.
- Convert meeting notes into a one-page execution brief within 48 hours (owners, dates, next steps).
- Build the outreach system for YEC: contact list staging, message templates, and scheduled follow-up cadence.
- Draft the Entrepreneurship Exchange event framework: agenda, roles, partner invites, attendee intake, and feedback loop.
- Produce partner-ready assets: a clean event landing page, registration funnel copy, sponsor acknowledgement graphics, and post-event summary template.
6. Grants & Programs
- YEC event funding: sponsorships currently cover core event costs; additional sponsors can expand prizes or future programming.
- Network Kansas reporting: the local event summary must be submitted by April 1; missing this deadline impacts the teacher award tied to the winning student.
- Entrepreneur lending education: incorporate clear explanations of funding products (community loans, e-community loans, gap financing) and what entrepreneurs must bring to lenders.
7. How ThriveKS Supports GLC_Plan
- Reduces workload for board members by handling structure, templates, outreach, and follow-through.
- Provides continuity between meetings so decisions do not stall.
- Makes ideas tangible: landing pages, rubrics, checklists, and partner-ready packets.
- Creates repeatable systems the board can reuse year after year without reinventing each event.
8. Follow-Up Plan
- Within 48 hours post-meeting: distribute an execution brief (what was decided, what is pending, what is assigned).
- Weekly until YEC: a short progress snapshot (registrations, outreach completed, sponsor status, staffing gaps).
- After YEC: finalize the event summary inputs, submit required reporting, and document lessons learned.
- January meeting prep: carry forward logo/tagline decision and confirm spring event date/location with a simple yes/no choice list.
9. Questions for Next Meeting
- Logo/tagline: what single line best communicates GLC’s purpose (entrepreneurship support + lending pathway + county-wide growth)?
- YEC registrations: what outreach channels are working, and what must be escalated through schools and partners?
- Entrepreneurship Exchange: confirm date/time (tentatively April 9, 5–7 PM) and select a venue with nonprofit pricing.
- Series structure: what topics should Exchange #2 and #3 cover based on attendee feedback (lending readiness, bookkeeping, marketing basics, legal setup, technology)?
- County coverage: what is the preferred rotation plan for locations to include Leavenworth, Lansing, Basehor, and Tonganoxie?
10. How We Can Help GLC_Plan
We can help by doing the unglamorous work that makes everything else function: outreach, systems, templates, and follow-through—quietly and consistently—so the board can keep moving at a strategic level.
- Turn this plan into a standing operating rhythm (checklists, calendars, action register).
- Stand up a simple public-facing event page and registration funnel for both YEC and the Exchange series.
- Create the “Start Here” rubric and resource map so entrepreneurs know the next step without guessing.
- Package sponsor materials and acknowledgements so funding stays clean and frictionless.