February 2017

Although January is over and 2017 is off to a busy start, New Year’s resolutions are still fresh on many people’s minds. If your New Year’s resolution was to start a business, grow your business, hire more employees, get more involved in your community or build a new home, then WEDC is here to help you finally make your resolutions a reality.

Goal #1 – Starting and Growing Your Business

Business Retention and Expansion Visits

Keeping in touch with our local businesses is one of WEDC’s top priorities. Throughout February and March, Wall businesses will be contacted by WEDC to schedule what we call “Business Retention and Expansion visits”. For the businesses that participated in 2016, this will simply be an update to discuss business changes and find ways WEDC can help you reach your goals. For new businesses, we will have a general discussion and overview of your business and find ways WEDC can help your business grow!

Entrepreneurship Boot Camp

On January 13th, the South Dakota Center for Enterprise Opportunity organized an Entrepreneurship Boot Camp. This event gathered experts to share tips about how to start and expand your business. Discussions included: how to prepare your business plan, legal advice, financial statements, getting a business loan, how to market your business effectively and networking tips.

I attended to harvest information and bring it all back to Wall’s current and future businesses. I have uploaded a “How to Start Your Business Plan” PowerPoint to the Economic Development webpage. I plan to continue sharing this knowledge both in person and on our website. If you would like any of this information ASAP, or would like to discuss ideas about starting a business in Wall, call me right away!

Website Development Classes

WEDC is working with the Badlands Bad River Region to offer a six-week course on how to start and maintain a business website. To make the classes possible and affordable, we needed 20 people to register for the classes by January 30th. Unfortunately, we only had 12 people register. However, we are passionate about making these classes happen and we are working hard to come up with a solution and bring the classes to Wall.  

Please watch Facebook updates and emails from the Chamber and WEDC for more class information. Please call WEDC if you are interested in participating in this valuable series!

Goal #2 – Hiring More Employees

Badlands Bad River Job Fair

The Badlands Bad River Regional Job Fair and Business Expo is set for Tuesday, March 28th, 1 pm – 6 pm at the Philip School Fine Arts Building. This is an opportunity not only to recruit new employees, but also showcase your business. You will have the opportunity to network with students, community members, potential employees, several educational institutions and resource providers.

If your business or organization is interested in participating in the job fair, call me, Cheyenne McGriff, at 605-279-2658 or Mary Burnett at 605-441-2059.

Goal #3 – Getting More Involved in Your Community!

Marketing Hometown America 

If you have lived in Wall for a number of years, have you ever thought, “I wish I could get more involved, but I’m not sure how!” Maybe you have amazing ideas about how to make Wall a better place for current and potential residents! Are you new to town, and it is your 2017 goal to get to know more community members? If you are tired about complaining about the way things are and are ready to get involved and make a difference, join a Marketing Hometown America “Think Tank!”

Marketing Hometown America is a community engagement and empowerment program. It allows community members to collaborate, create a vision and find ways to improve and grow their community!

“Think Tanks” are offered at the following times and locations:

• Fridays, led by Ashley Kier and Sierra Wilson
• Tuesdays, starting February 7th, 5:15 pm at the Red Rock – led by Kelli Sundall and Amanda Frink
• Mondays (next meeting February 13th), 11 am – 1 pm at the Red Rock – led by Cheyenne McGriff, Eric Leonard and Sidney Dunker
• Fridays (starting February 3rd), 5 pm – 7 pm in the West River Electric Association Board Room – led by Garrett Shearer and Lindsy Reagle
• Wednesdays, 9 am – 11 am in the First Interstate Bank Basement, led by Judy Goldhammer and Mary Williams
• Saturdays, 9 am – 11 am at Laura Anderson’s house – led by Dana Luedeman and Lisa Anderson

Goal #4 – Building Your Dream Home

New City of Wall Incentives

The Wall City Council approved the first ordinance reading of Ordinance 17-01, “An ordinance to amend Chapter 17 and add establishing economic development incentive program for housing”. The rebate will apply to any single-family, two-family, multi-family dwellings, and factory-built homes, but not including hotels, motels, or lodging houses, and that are constructed to the standard of existing city ordinances and granted a final inspection certificate for occupancy after March 7, 2017.

Mobile homes in a mobile home park will not be eligible for the rebate of municipal property tax (this addition will be read by the City Council during the February 2nd City Council meeting).

WEDC is extremely excited about this new incentive. Wall City leaders are stepping to the plate to help solve Wall’s housing issues. We believe it is a tremendous stride forward in the first of many housing accomplishments.

For more information about this incentive, and what it can mean for you, please call me, Cheyenne McGriff or City Finance Officer, Carolynn Anderson, at 605-279-2663.

If you are interested in learning more about WEDC and our goals or projects, or would like to be involved, never hesitate to contact me.

As always, thank you for being such a great community. It is because of you we have it all in Wall! 

Cheyenne McGriff
WEDC Executive Director
?(605) 279-2658?
walledd@gwtc.net