From Strategy to Incentives: A Complete Guide to Business Growth in Rural Kansas

One day it might be a conversation talking through workforce development training options.

The next? Helping our small business owners develop a social media marketing strategy that makes someone stop mid-scroll.

On any given day, you’ll find the Western Kansas Rural Economic Development Alliance (WKREDA) helping folks start and grow their businesses in rural Kansas.

And those conversations aren’t a “one size fits all” approach, because we get it. Success is defined differently by every entrepreneur, as is the path it will take to get them there.

From managing paperwork, navigating regulations, identifying financing resources, or even just having a trusted advisor to bounce ideas off of, WKREDA dedicates itself to offering personalized support to businesses in Western Kansas.

But how?

How Does WKREDA Support Business Growth in Western Kansas?

WKREDA was created in order to revitalize, promote and ensure sustainable development throughout Western Kansas.

We do this by pooling resources to help our communities attract businesses, supporting the training of a robust, skilled workforce, and promoting apprenticeship programs to improve the overall economic landscape of rural Kansas.

This is also done through:

• Business Retention & Expansion (BRE): Support existing businesses to thrive and expand, creating jobs through infrastructure improvements and resource access
• Marketing & Attraction: Develop and execute compelling campaigns to attract businesses and talent, showcasing community strengths to internal and external audiences
• Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development: Support small businesses and entrepreneurs with access to capital, space, and technical assistance so that they can grow and scale at their own pace
• Real Estate Development: Further projects like industrial parks and incubators to stimulate economic growth in rural Kansas
• Incentives: Help businesses access financial services and incentive programs to assist with growth and expansion
• Workforce Development: Collaborate with agencies to ensure a skilled talent pool, understanding and addressing the unique workforce needs in Western Kansas

Helping You Gain Access to Incentive Programs

Did you know that WKREDA offers numerous training programs and financing alternatives such as micro loans, revolving loan funds, grants, and gap financing to businesses of varying sizes?

But we also offer things like Trade Show Assistance, which can help reimburse successful applicants for up to half of their direct exhibition-related expenses.

And every community in each of our 55 counties offers a variety of economic development incentives such as:

High Performance Incentive Program (HPIP)
Provides tax incentives to employers that pay above-average wages and have a strong commitment to skills development for their workers. 

Promoting Employment Across Kansas (PEAK)
Companies may retain or be refunded 95% of the payroll withholding tax of qualified employees for new jobs created in Kansas.

PEAK requires a qualified company to commit to creating a certain amount of jobs within a two-year period in counties such as: 

• Shawnee
• Douglas
• Wyandotte
• Johnson
• Leavenworth
• Sedgwick

WKREDA: Your Partner for Business Growth and Development

We're excited to talk about Western Kansas with anyone who may be interested in this wonderful place we call home!

Contact WKREDA today and discover a wealth of information and resources to help your business get off the ground or grow in rural Kansas.