2015 marked our 6th year for hosting our local Cheylin Entrepreneurship (E-) Fair.  We have had 68 participants partake in the Cheylin E-Fair over the past 6 years; with as few as 7 to as many as 18 each year.  To date, a total of $6,000 has been awarded through Bird City Century II Development Foundation, and $1,200 total through sponsorship awards (Network Kansas, The Bank of Bird City and People’s State Bank of McDonald).

This year, there were a total of 9 participants.

The top three award winners (sponsored by Bird City Century II) were:
1st place: Ivan Kemp – Kemp’s Klean Kut Lawn Service & Landscaping  $500;
2nd place: Jordan Janicke – Janicke Guided Hunts  $300; and
3rd place: Alexandra Hazuka – Simply Scarves  $200.

The Cheylin Entrepreneurship Fair hit its fifth year to be holding a competition at the local level.  Cheylin students from 7th-12th grades are always invited to participate, giving students an opportunity to create their own business; doing the research and hands-on “behind the scenes” work that it takes to be their own boss.  Some students use their current jobs for their business projects, while others create their own ideas.  All entries develop their business plan, financials and marketing materials which they are judged on, along with a short interview with the judges the morning of the E-Fair.

This year, there were a total of 15 participants with 14 business projects entered.

The top three award winners (sponsored by Bird City Century II) were:
1st place: Reece Leonard, Leonard Hogs  $500;
2nd place: Rachel Keltz, Smokin’ Gun Horse Training  $300; and
3rd place: Alexandra Hazuka, Pawsitive Dog Training  $200.

The Bird City E-Community Awards (sponsored by Bird City E-Community Fund) were $100 each, they went to Ethan Moore, J&E Dirtworks and Jordan Janicke, Janicke Guided Hunts.  Cougar Pellets by Elizabeth Keltz & Rusty Porubsky, received The Bank of Bird City Entrepreneurial Award for $50, and Rachel Keltz also received the People’s State Bank of McDonald Entrepreneurial Award for $50.

Reece Leonard chose to compete at the Regional E-Fair (Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge) in May, where he competed against 18 students, taking 2nd place in the competition.  A job well done, Reece!!!

This year’s local Entrepreneurship Fair (2013) was another successful event with seven Cheylin students entering their business ideas into the Cheylin E-Fair, and of those, five chose to participate in the Regional E-Fair in Atwood April 5th.The seven business entries included:
Jacob Brubaker – Liberty League’s Latest (website business)
Mary Anne Orten – Mary Anne’s Popcorn
Reece Leonard – Leonard Hogs
Tristan Archer – Archer’s Pastries
ElsaCraig Burr – Elsa’s Babysitting
Elizabeth Keltz – Elizabeth’s Pigs  
Ivan Kemp – Kemp’s Klean Kut Service (Lawn & Property Care)

The participants were judged on their business idea, business plan, marketing strategies, financial projections, booth display and knowledge of their business.

1st Place ($500) – Ivan Kemp – Kemp’s Klean Kut Service
2nd Place ($300) – Elizabeth Keltz – Elizabeth’s Pigs  
3rd Place ($200) – Jacob Brubaker – Liberty League’s Latest 

Bird City E-Community Awards – ($100 each)
Jacob Brubaker for his professionalism;
Mary Anne Orten for wealth producing business/selling a local product outside the area/not relying on the local economy

1st, 2nd & 3rd Place Awards are given on behalf of Bird City Century II Development Foundation to help finance their current business or potential business (if they choose to pursue it), otherwise, we hope they will put it back for their college education. Ivan Kemp, Elizabeth Keltz, Reece Leonard and ElsaCraig Burr are currently pursuing their businesses while they are going to school.  The Bird City E-Community Awards are given on behalf of the Bird City E-Community Fund through NetWork Kansas.  These funds are set aside to help with entrepreneurial activities in our community.

We very much appreciate the support of the community by attending the E-Fair, visiting with the participants and listening to our speakers.  Rod Young, local entrepreneur, spoke on the history of how he got started with his businesses in Bird City (Bressler-Young Aviation and Ag Repair).  He spoke of the challenges that he has faced as a business owner, his accomplishments which have allowed him to grow, and where he is now with his succession planning phase (the future years of his business’ when he’s ready to retire).  With that, Rod introduced  Devin Conley, his new business partner of Silverwings Ag, (aviation spraying business).  Devin spoke to the students and community about what drew him to pursue the entrepreneurial path, and opportunities that he sees of running a business and living in a rural community such as Bird City.  Devin graduated from Westminister University in Salt Lake City, Utah this past December.

Bird City Century II Development Foundation hosted the 3rd Annual Cheylin Entrepreneurship Fair (E-Fair) on March 13, 2012 in the HS gymnasium.

There were 15 participants with a total of 13 projects from students in the 7th – 12th grades.

The 13 entries included:

C.J. Antholz – Antholz Trailer Clean Out
Michael Barnett – Hunter’s Hotel
Bergan Bock & Haleigh Rucker – B & H Candle Making
Heath Churchwell – Wonderful World of Corgi’s
Austin Cobb – Austin’s Landscape Design
Kevin Estrada – Walking the Dog
Thomas Frisbie – Hungry Harvesters
Jorge Gonzalez – Jorge’s Lawn Mowing
Elizabeth Keltz – Elizabeth’s Pigs
Ivan Kemp – Kemp’s Klean Kut Lawn Care
Nakita Schneider – Nakita’s Kitchen
Jessie Smith – Papa Charlie’s Cornmeal
Crystal & Stephanie –

Participants have been working on their projects since January; creating their own ‘businesses’, finalizing business plans, financial projections, marketing plans, and ’designing’ their booth for the judged competition. The Foundation hosted a Kansas Small Business Development Center Business Plan Development Workshop for the participants to give them additional tools to assist them with their projects.

The morning of the E-Fair, the students were judged on their overall business plans, research and marketing strategies.  They also had a short five minute interview with the judges.  There were some very good projects entered, so the judges had a tough job cut out for them.  The following were the top winners:

1st Place – Michael Barnett, Hunter’s Hotel, $500
2nd Place – Jessie Smith, Papa Charlie’s Cornmeal, $300
3rd Place – Ivan Kemp, Kemp’s Klean Kut Lawn Care, $200

This year three additional awards were given from the Bird City E-Community Fund, a fund established as a revolving loan fund for startup or expanding businesses in Bird City. The winners of these awards were:

Elizabeth Keltz, Elizabeth’s Pigs, $100
Nakita Schneider, Nakita’s Kitchen, $100
Heath Churchwell, Wonderful World of Corgi’s, $100

The speaker this year was Kody Krien, a 1992 Cheylin graduate and owner of ‘Krien Pharmacy’ in St. Francis.  Kody was very personable with the students, relaying stories of his own trials and successes, and how the positive influence of his family and mentors played a large part in his journey to where he is today.

Cheylin will have four participants competing in the  Regional Entrepreneurship Fair in Atwood on April 5, 2012.

On Tuesday, March 15th, nine students from Cheylin schools participated in the Second Annual Cheylin Entrepreneurship Fair, hosted by Bird City Century II Development Foundation. The E-Fair is open to all Cheylin students in grades 7th-12th. This year we had a young group of participants, six 8th graders, two Freshmen and one Junior.

In weeks prior, the participants created their own business idea, gathered information pertinent to their business (product research, marketing ideas, feasibility, and so on), and wrote a business plan.

The morning of the E-Fair, participants had one hour to set-up their booths. At 8:30 am, the 3 judges went from booth to booth, judging the participants on their displays, their presentations as a whole and a short 5-8 minute personal interview. The students were judged on the following categories: Business Plan, Product Knowledge (Research & Development), Marketing Ideas, Product & Financial Feasibility, Commitment to Rural Economy/Lifestyle and Overall Impression of the Contestant/Product (Verbal Presentation).

The nine entries were:

Shawn Pochop – Porkchop Fencing
Mary Anne Orten – Mary Anne’s Green Thumb
Eddie Frisbie – Trapping Services
Shayla Hubbard – Shayla’s Kiddy Care
Wil Orten – Wilhelm’s Custom Reloads
Michael Barnett – Get Hooked Marketing
Jaime Davison – Jaime’s Grocery Express
Ty Carmichael – Ty’s NW Kansas Hunts
Cheyenne Hewitt – Hot Shot Photo Stop

Ben Blecha, an entrepreneur from Benkelman, NE, spoke to the audience about his motivation behind his entrepreneurial story. Ben was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 16, which led to the amputation of his right leg when he was in college. After finishing college and working for other employers, Ben decided to turn his career focus to something he could truly relate to, prosthetics. He received his training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Ben took a job in the Denver area before following his heart back to his hometown and starting his own business in Benkelman, “Sky Prosthetics”, where he makes the prosthetics, and his only need for travel is for the initial one-on-one consultations with his clients. Since then, he has opened an additional business, “Ace Ortho Solutions”, offering prosthetics and orthotics for animals. Ben’s personal experience and will to succeed, and his motivation for ‘small-town’ growth, are a few of his attributes that make him stand-out as an excellent role model for future entrepreneurs.

Following the speaker, three scholarship awards were given out on behalf of Bird City Century II Development Foundation totaling $1,000. This year’s winners were:

1st Place – Wil Orten ($500)
2nd Place – Mary Anne Orten ($300)
3rd Place – Ty Carmichael ($200)

All three winners have been accepted to participate in the Rawlins County REGIONAL Entrepreneurship Fair in Atwood on April 1st.

After several weeks of preparation and planning on our part…and several weeks of research, writing, more research…and more writing for 18 participants, the Cheylin Entrepreneurship Fair kicked off successfully!

On February 22nd, a total of 18 participants from Cheylin, ranging from 7th – 12th grades submitted entries for the First Annual Cheylin Entrepreneurship Fair, hosted by Bird City Century II Development Foundation.  Out of the 18 participants, a total of 15 entries were submitted as 2 of the projects were ’team’ projects.

The main goal for hosting the Cheylin E-Fair is to encourage our youth to ‘give it a try’, and give them the support and encouragement to succeed!  We want to help students realize there are endless possibilities out there for one looking to start their own business, and that “moving back” to this area, (Bird City/McDonald), can be an option!  We realize not all businesses will succeed in this rural area, and it’s a part of the learning process of this Entrepreneurship project for students to research their ideas in depth to help them see what can, might, and will succeed!

The students were instructed to write their own business plans, and gather information pertinent to their business idea…product research, marketing ideas, feasibility, and so on…  They were also responsible for setting up their own booths pertaining to their business ideas, the morning of the E-Fair.

The E-Fair was scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 23rd.  That morning, participants had one hour to set-up their booths.  At 8:30 am, the 4 judges went from booth to booth, judging the participants on their displays, their presentations as a whole, and a short 5-minute personal interview.

Following the speaker was presentation of the award winners.  The 18 participants recognized for their entries included:

Jacob Brubaker – Jacob’s Lawn Care Service
Aleece Rosales, Ellie Pochop, Shandy Manners – Horse Hair Jewelry
Ty Carmichael – Bird City Bird Houses
Walker Janicke – The Dirt Days (Motorcycle Track)
Casey Vandike – Casey’s Lawn Care
Connor Hazuka – Connor’s Mowing Service
Adam Orten – AO Rappelling (Farm Silo Rappelling Wall)
Joshua Keltz – Josh’s Pheasant Farm
Austin Cobb – Austin’s Airsoft Wars (Airsoft Course)
Kenan Reeh – K-R Spraying (Home and Yard Spraying)
Stephanie & Craig Busse – Busse’s Bountiful Harvest Flour Company
Caleb Keltz – Caleb’s Pellets (Biomass Pellets for Heating Homes)
Health Antholz – Antholz Breakers (Horses)
Lance Leonard – Leonard Soil Sampling
Hudson Louderbaugh – Prairie Dog Roping & Hunting

Three scholarship awards were given out on behalf of Bird City Century II Development Foundation totaling $1,000, and $200 was given through Bird City E-Community, (entrepreneurial funds made available through Bird City Century II and Network Kansas).

The winners of the 2010 Cheylin Entrepreneurship Fair include:

1st Place – $500 – Busse’s Bountiful Harvest Flour Company (Craig & Stephanie Busse)
2nd Place – $300 – K-R Spraying (Kenan Reeh)
3rd Place – $200 – Josh’s Pheasant Farm (Joshua Keltz)
E-Community Award – $200 – Jacob’s Lawn Care Service (Jacob Brubaker)

CONGRATULATIONS to all of the winners and a special thank you to each of the participants for their involvement!

“I’m very pleased with the quality of projects the students entered into the competition,” said Catherine Domsch, Executive Director of the Foundation.  “The support from the school and community was outstanding.  I’m looking forward to next year’s event!”

A special recognition and thanks to our Resource Partners who were in attendance to show their support of the E-Fair.  They included:  Network Kansas (Wichita), Kansas Small Business Development Center (Bird City Outreach Office), Kansas Department of Commerce (Hays and Colby), Pioneer Country Development (Hill City), Colby Community College – Entrepreneurship Program (Colby), Northwest Kansas Technical College – Business Class (Goodland).