Starting a small biz comes with struggle; this Topeka grants program helps cut the risk 

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to Go Topeka, which seeks economic success for all companies and citizens across Shawnee County through implementation of an aggressive economic development strategy that capitalizes on the unique strengths of the community.

TOPEKA — A focused small business incentive program is helping Capital City entrepreneurs grow their businesses more quickly and saving them money during the startup process.

When his family settled in Topeka in late 2021 after a couple years living in a motorhome, veteran video producer Thomas Hicks knew he needed to rebuild his equipment arsenal in order to serve his new customer base.

Thomas Hicks, Story Factory

So Hicks, founder and executive producer of Story Factory, applied for and received a $5,000 matching equipment grant from Go Topeka in the first quarter of 2022, putting the money toward new lights, stands, a tripod, and a second camera, among other items.

Had the small business incentive program through Go Topeka not been available, Hicks said, he would have been forced to put all the expenses on a credit card and pay off the interest over a longer period of time.

“It just would have been an additional $5,000 of struggle, because when you’re trying to start a small business, $5,000 is a lot of extra cash,” Hicks said.

Beyond the cost savings, Hicks said having the proper equipment gave Story Factory the added credibility needed to impress its clients.

“There’s this perception from clients that when you show up with four of five cases of high-quality gear, and you have a couple of high-end cameras, it tells your client that they’re important and this project is for real,” Hicks said. “That confidence that you get from having the proper equipment has value in itself.”

Bursting with high-quality requests

Grant programs from Go Topeka are intended to make it easier for small business owners to invest in their companies, which in turn benefits the entire Topeka and Shawnee County community, said Laurie Pieper, vice president of entrepreneurship and small business at Go Topeka.

Laurie Pieper, Go Topeka

“The purpose is to incentivize and assist small businesses in making investments in their companies that are going to contribute to the economic growth of our community,” Pieper said.

The small business incentive program is set to award $500,000 in 2023 — up from $300,000 in 2022 — across four application windows.

The increased budget was made necessary, Pieper said, because Go Topeka was receiving more high-quality applications than the organization could afford to fully fund.

“There were some projects last year where — because we were trying to spread the money around and benefit as many companies as possible —  we weren’t able to fund them to the full amount,” Pieper said.

“This [budget increase] will do two things,” she continued. “Hopefully it will allow us to provide more companies with incentives and also provide incentives at somewhat higher amounts.”

The incentive program has nine categories — including marketing, equipment, and construction and renovation — all of which are evaluated and awarded separately, Pieper said. Companies can apply for funding in multiple areas.

This ensures an “apples to apples comparison,” she added, noting that even businesses who are not selected receive advice and business resources from Go Topeka on how to strengthen their application for the next cycle.

Click here for a full list of eligibility requirements.

Once approved, the business owners can then spend the agreed-upon amount of money on necessary equipment, renovations, marketing, or other expenditures, up to half of which will be reimbursed by Go Topeka.

“Often it’s hard for companies to put together the funding that they need to start and grow quickly enough to really be as successful as they have the potential to be,” Pieper said. “So we’re not trying to just give money away. We’re trying to help people grow and stay here.”

Veronica McPike and Stephanie Sisk, Merit Weight Loss

Getting over the mountain

Veronica McPike and Stephanie Sisk, co-founders of Merit Weight Loss, also received grants as part of the incentive program in early 2022.

The founding duo actually received funding in three separate categories — construction and renovation, equipment, and marketing — so that they could get their business ready to open by June 1.

The grants allowed Merit Weight Loss to do a “near-total renovation” of the building it occupies, Sisk said, in addition to helping them purchase a body composition machine and some marketing materials.

“It really allowed us to get our business started without loans and debt, which was huge,” Sisk said. “That was amazing.”

Sisk said the pair was prepared to “foot the bill” by dipping into their shared savings and applying for a business loan, but admitted that the reimbursements from the incentive program made the process much more enjoyable.

“Starting your own small business, you’re already leaving a regular paying job, which is terrifying,” Sisk said. “And then on top of it, having to get over this hump, or mountain, of bills that you’re trying to get over from renovating your space, getting all of the supplies that you need.”

“This just really helped us start out clean where we could really focus on our business and growing and still providing for our families,” Sisk continued. “It just really gave us some ease and allowed us to really enjoy the process of starting a business. It’s really helped significantly relieve that pressure.”

We actually want to spend the money

Besides providing opportunities for economic development in and around Topeka, what really makes the small business incentive program stand out is its uniqueness, Pieper said.

“Those are pretty unique to our organization serving Topeka and Shawnee County,” Pieper said. “I don’t know of any other communities that have a program like this.”

Hicks, who said he’s operated video production companies throughout various cities and states over the last 25 years, echoed those sentiments.

“Even in the larger cities, there didn’t seem to be — certainly not the promotion of — but also the hands-on, ready-to-help programs that we found here,” Hicks said.

Veronica McPike and Stephanie Sisk, Merit Weight Loss

“I think it’s unique to Topeka,” Hicks added. “Part of that is not just the program, because I’m sure there are other programs out there. But what I think is unique is how seriously it’s promoted. … The ones that do exist in other places, they almost hide them. It’s like they don’t want to spend the money. It’s very different here.”

Sisk and McPike said they feel the same way, with Sisk noting that her friends in other cities marvel at the financial support Merit Weight Loss received.

“I think Topeka in general is doing a wonderful job of trying to support small businesses,” Sisk said. “When I’ve talked to friends in other cities who have thought about going out and doing their own thing, there’s nothing like this in their city. They’re like, ‘That’s insane that you were able to get a start like that.’”

Now, Sisk said she makes sure to tell any entrepreneurs or small business owners in Topeka about the incentive program.

“I tell everyone about this,” she said. “Anybody who’s even thinking about doing their own thing, I’m like, ‘Go check this out, because it really is a huge advantage.’”

This series is possible thanks to Go Topeka.

Go Topeka seeks economic success for all companies and citizens across Shawnee County through implementation of an aggressive economic development strategy that capitalizes on the unique strengths of the community.