LAKE COUNTY ? The Lake County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $65,000 contract with Mount Konocti Facilitation (MKF), a non-profit organization created to support small business and entrepreneurs in Lake County.
The contract approved between Lake County and MKF states that MKF is a support organization for small businesses and entrepreneurs in startup, improvement and expansion of businesses. Executive board chair Melissa Fulton, volunteer facilitator Susan Harmon and treasurer Sandra West told the board about MKF”s activities over the last 18 months. Harmon said the organization helped 74 businesses. Of those, 54 percent were new businesses, and of that number, 38 percent succeeded.
“We consider it a success when someone comes to us with a great, fantastic idea, and through the discovery process they may find that their idea was not all that great and fantastic, and they are able to make that decision before mortgaging their home or their mother, aunt, or sister”s home, to not take that step. That means one less empty storefront, and we consider that a success as well,” Fulton said.
West said the non-profit has not been able to do outreach because of lack of funds, but has received its clientele through word of mouth. MKF recently obtained a $25,000 grant from Wells Fargo”s economic development program, and plans to ask for a $100,000 grant in for the 2008 ? 09 fiscal year.
The organization ran into financial problems in the summer of 2006, according to Harmon, when it let go of its sole employee, an enterprise facilitator MKF originally hired as a primary contact. Harmon told the board the she had proposed to MKF to fill that position. The contract states that within 30 days of its implementation, MKF would hire an enterprise facilitator.
Fulton said Harmon”s proposal was accepted at a Feb. 13 board meeting. She said the $65,000 would pay primarily to hire Harmon, as well as liability insurance and a 24-hour answering service. Harmon will “meet with people who contact us looking for free, confidential assistance on how they can either go into business or improve the business they”re already in,” Fulton said. Harmon would answer the 24-hour voice mail and contact the executive board and 25-plus member community board as needed to gather resources to meet businesses” and entrepreneurs” needs.
“What a chamber (of commerce) or a business association does is much broader. Mount Konocti Facilitation can be much more focused and provide a lot of one-on-one help that is so necessary with new entrepreneurs,” Fulton said.
The non-profit fulfilled a contract with the Sirolli Institute for the program it implements and training, and is no longer in debt, according to West.
When asked by two supervisors about promoting agricultural enterprises in the county, West said, “We want to develop a team to help Lake County farmers take it (their product) from the farm to the world.”
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com
