Good for Small Business? (Kansas City, Springfield: how much, house, buying)

[aaauger]

Missouri seems to have a lot of the things we value: nature, temperate weather with seasons, friendly folks with good values. At this point, we'd appreciate some first-hand insight into the environment for small business. Specifically:

- Is government hands-off or even supportive?
- How heavy is the tax burden (both personal and business)?
- How expensive is the unskilled labor force and how dependable?

We own a small growing manufacturing business (7 employees right now). We're looking for an affordable medium-size city with opportunity to buy a little land within about a 30 minute commute so our 7 year old can grow up in a smaller community. We're targetting:

- Springfield
- Rolla
- Independence
- Columbia
- Jefferson City

Any and all input is welcome. Thanks much, Lisa, Austin, TX

[kareybear]

Small growing manufactoring business? What exactly is that business? are you building homes or building trusses? What is it your doing? I don't think you are going have that problem buying land.It just how much you willing to spend. You need to figure out where you want to live. I believe Columbia, Springfield and Independence are the big towns and the rest are a little smaller. What actually are you looking for in these towns? What are you expecting? Need more info than what you have given.

[ShadowCaver]

Lisa - I would love to recommend Rolla. On one hand, being a university town, there is much support for hatching new businesses. However, having been just there this past week, bumming around talking w/ some prior profs and secretaries, seems to them that the 'atmosphere' in the city is kinda anti-growth, that the city just wants to focus on the University, not new restaurants or companies, at least not as much as they believe. At least that is the impression I get from their thoughts on what they are seeing. The Briggs & Stratton small engine plant just to the NE of town is closing, with rumour of aeronautical supply going in there. Would love to see some growth in the Rolla area - good access to I-44, US63, etc., with a durn good hard-working and dependable blue-collar work force. Of course, most that I've written [besides the B&S plant, for example] is opinion and perception, FYI.

Recommend checking out and maybe even contacting those at: City of Rolla, Missouri Official Website - Home
and reading Community Development Department - City of Rolla, Missouri (http://www.rollacity.org/comdev/plan.shtm - broken link)

The area is hungry for work - the local USGS facility, has experienced quite a bit of job loss there too. [durn politics and accounts! ] - and good business I would hope would be welcome there. As said, contact them directly, get info you need from the horse's mouths directly as pertaining exactly to your desires, needs, and plans. Help prove the profs/secretaries wrong!



ps: kbear, some quite good questions - answers to such would definitely help on thoughts/suggestions.

[northbound74]

Independence is a suburb of Kansas City. Great area, but it may not be small enough for what you're looking for. Also, the dependable workforce here can be a bit pricier than the other cities you mentioned. The other areas would have more outdoor nature type stuff, too.

I've never been to Jefferson City or Rolla, so I can't speak for those, but Springfield and Columbia are both nice, clean towns.

Springfield is a more conservative area, which might mean lower taxes. I'm not certain, though. The income levels in Springfield are lower than Columbia, so the workforce would possibly be more affordable. It seems to be a really good area for small business.

One of the reasons I didn't like Springfield was that the jobs paid 50% less in some cases than KC, but the cost of living isn't all that different from parts of KC, depending on where you're at in Springfield.
Some of the outlying areas are quite affordable, though. One thing to watch out for when buying land down there, you might buy some nice acreage just to realize the property next door is going to be the next big housing development.
This seems especially true on the south side of Springfield. For example, I was driving down a nice country road, east of Ozark, probably 20 minutes outside of any town, and there it was: a full blown nieghborhood in the middle of a cow pasture, with not even a gas station in sight. South of town, going towards Branson, seems to be the faster-growing area...and more expensive.

Columbia is a bit smaller, with a bigger state university, which I think gives it a more "college town" feel. I don't know much about the surrounding areas, but I've driven through Howard county and was impressed with what I saw. Especially Fayette. I've also heard good things about Callaway county.

[Lake Junkie]

Originally Posted by aaauger

Missouri seems to have a lot of the things we value: nature, temperate weather with seasons, friendly folks with good values. At this point, we'd appreciate some first-hand insight into the environment for small business. Specifically:

- Is government hands-off or even supportive?
- How heavy is the tax burden (both personal and business)?
- How expensive is the unskilled labor force and how dependable?

We own a small growing manufacturing business (7 employees right now). We're looking for an affordable medium-size city with opportunity to buy a little land within about a 30 minute commute so our 7 year old can grow up in a smaller community. We're targetting:

- Springfield
- Rolla
- Independence
- Columbia
- Jefferson City

Any and all input is welcome. Thanks much, Lisa, Austin, TX

Lisa...I'm a transplant, too...and love it here.
"Here" is in the bottom of the state near Table Rock Lake and Branson. I'm going to suggest Taney County to you because of all the growth that is happening and how supportive they are of small & large business.

Hollister, especially, has an amazing amount of growth going on. AND it's some of the mildest weather in Missouri. AND it's been a retirement destination for so long that almost everyone here is from somewhere else.

That makes it very welcoming to newcomers!

Check out Taney County here: Grow With Taney County!
and here: Taney County Missouri Government

I'd love to talk if you'd like...my last incarnation was as a marketing consultant for...you guessed it...small businesses.

[aaauger]

First of all, thanks everyone for your input.

Nbound - Thanks for the overall perspective - very helpful.

Scaver - Thanks for the specifics on Rolla. I'll dig into them. We like Rolla for the university. Our daughter is young but we want to settle near a good university or college.

Ljunkie - Your advice resonates with me because I fell in love with the Ozarks many years ago. I had never imagined being able to live there - but why not?? I'll keep your contact info - we're getting large enough to consider a reseller channel but need to understand the ins/outs.

Kbear - I'm new to Inet chatting and it's sometimes hard to know how much to share.

Our business: we produce mausoleums. We need a large warehouse near a major shipping route and with 3 phase power. We don't have any environmentally sensitive processes. We train all of our labor - basically look for aptitude, attitude and longevity. In return, we offer decent unskilled wages for these qualities. We want a city council that represents residence and commerce equally. (That's another thread.)

Our needs: we're looking for a change in lifestyle which I can best describe as back to basics: slower pace, more nature, a little more space, more community, more frugal lifestyle. Most of all, we want our daughter to grow up with nature, community involvement, safety. Our piece of paradise would be a modest home on about 30 acres with trees and good soil for a large garden within 30 minutes of our business at a land cost that hasn't been inflated by over-development.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

[kareybear]

Well I am quite not sure what this Mausoluems is? but it sounds like you need to live between Columbia and Jefferson City because it is a huge city with a wonderful school system that I have heard greatly from my Missourian Fans and a great College too but that just me. You might get more clientelle in Columbia but I could be wrong. Then again Columbia is little more expensive so I am thinking the outskirt of Columbia and close Jefferson City since it is the Capital of Missouri.

[ShadowCaver]

kbear- kinda fitting you would wonder what such a Mausoleums is, especially on today's date...

Its a house for the dead...





Check out, for just one example: Family Mausoleum .net - Information Regarding Family Mausoleums and Personal Mausoleums, An Above Ground Burial Alternative.

[Versatile]

Check out Lamar Mo. South of KC along 71 hwy. They have or did have a huge building that was empty and it might fit your uses.

[kareybear]

House for the Dead?????? Oh My goodness.... So they make it all fancy for the House of the Dead..... So I am wondering what they do for Halloween for the house of the dead?