By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
There are five Barton County start-up businesses vying for $50,000. The Ignite Rural Business Competition, organized by the Great Bend Economic Development, will take place Thursday, Oct. 5 to award funding to entrepreneurs wanting to create a business idea. The list started with 31 individuals or groups pitching an idea, and judges narrowed the list to five finalists.
Great Bend Chamber of Commerce CEO Megan Barfield said even the contestants that did not make the final cut are still promising prospects of business ideas potentially coming to Barton County.
"Just because a certain business didn't get into the top five, doesn't mean it's a bad idea," said Barfield. "It's just for the purposes of this specific competition, choices were made for what we think the sharks are going to be looking for. It was exciting for me to sit back and see all of the cool ideas and things that are already being done that people are working on."
The competition finale will take place at the Crest Theater in Great Bend Thursday at 7 p.m. The public is invited to attend the event and support the addition of new entrepreneurs in Barton County.
"So many businesses were started in the back of somebody's trunk, in their garage or in their mom's basement," said Barfield. "It was just an idea and it started from there. I would say we probably have 80 to 85-percent of our businesses are entrepreneur-based versus a larger corporation."
Network Kansas has partnered with Great Bend Economic Development to provide $95,000 to the winners. Along with $50,000 to the winner, $30,000 will be awarded to second place and third place gets $10,000. Those in attendance will have a chance to vote for their favorite business proposal, and $5,000 will be given to the “people’s choice” winner.