BUILDING
UP
small businesses Local business looks to help small businesses and entrepreneurs Photos & Story | Kaitlyn Seiwert
Business plans, projections, gap loans, what’s all of it mean? Entrepreneurs looking to start their own business or take their idea further don’t always understand all the necessary paperwork and administrative details needed to successfully start their business. Located in Reno County, StartUp Hutch is looking to help entrepreneurs support the local economy and showcase their talents. “I think that someone who wants to be an entrepreneur needs to ask themselves, do they really not want to work for someone else? Or do they just not want to work? Being an entrepreneur means you’re going to do a lot more work than you would do if you were working for somebody else,” said Jackson Swearer, StartUp Hutch Program Director. The 2020 US Census Bureau reported 4.4 million new businesses surfaced during 2020. As new busi-
nesses surge and the entrepreneurial opportunities for entrepreneurs and wave hits Americans, many people other resources for entrepreneurs,” look for support from their comsaid Swearer. munity. While his team offers “Entrepreneurship is a multiple resources and Entrepreneurship team sport,” Swearer said. advice to local entrepreis a team sport. ”(If) you think that you neurs, some keys to a succan do it all yourself, you cessful business can not be probably can’t, you probably won’t found in a resource or bank loans. be successful. The trick is to figure “Really, one of the secrets of entreout what are you passionate about, preneurship is the most successful and what are you good at...figure entrepreneurs are people who are out what you’re bad at and what you just passionate about what they’re don’t like, and get somebody else to doing,” said Swearer. “And they sort do that stuff for you.” of don’t know what they could fail.” StartUp Hutch, previously known StartUp Hutch also offers philas the Quest Center and rebranded anthropic outlets for community in 2020, is bringing support and members like investors. resources together for entrepreneurs “Somebody like an investor for across Reno County. Many entrepreexample, who takes somethings that’s neurs look to StartUp Hutch’s mentors probably a pretty sure...and they for encouragement. invest their money in that. Entre“Our primary function is to help preneurs are people who are taking local entrepreneurs start and grow risks. And we want to help people do their businesses. We try to provide that,” Swearer said.
“
20 | Dragon’s Tale | December 2021 020-021 StartUp Hutch.indd 20
11/18/21 12:30 PM
