Morning Edition; Schifla, Erin

It's morning edition on KRPS, I'm Fred Fletcher Fierro. One year ago, the pandemic created a lot uncertainty, specifically how it would affect businesses. Today the economy of Southwest Missouri is looking stronger than other parts of the US, and a new community group in Joplin is looking to increase in deep in those gains. I'm prepared this report to take a closer look. One million cups is well established, and started by the Ewing-Marine Coppin Foundation in Kansas City, Missouri, nine years ago. The nonprofit has spread across 40 states and 150 communities, including Springfield and now Joplin. Aaron Sifle, Marketing and Public Information Manager at the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, says members of the Joplin 1 million cups group have attended presentations in Springfield, and spoke with organizers there so that Joplin's group will have an excellent foundation to build on. The folks have been Springfield have been great because they've been able to kind of mentor us and walk us through and build a partnership because we can feed off each other's markets because we're close enough.

And then Bentonville as well has a chapter. If this sounds like a Chamber of Commerce event, you're right. But that's what makes 1 million cups different. It's not owned, operated, or even organized by local chambers. That means members of the business community, including employees of nonprofits and governmental entities such as Missouri Southern, Joplin Schools, Crowder College, or other county, state or city employees, such as Director of the Joplin Public Library, Gina Gawkeley, can attend. She explains how a 1 million cups meeting is organized. People come together each week. We have two presenters who present about their business a very short presentation about six minutes. And then they offer up like what their problems are. And the audience members can then ask questions of those business owners and provide support, feedback, advice, even referrals. The community owned resources casting a wide net to any person that wants to start a business is in business. And those business owners who have been in the game for years and everybody in between. The group's death isn't only dependent on the day's presenters, but the audience that

1 million cups attracts. Everyone, you know, not even just Joplin specifically, we want to encourage people from Pittsburgh, Crawl Junction, Web City, you know, other areas as well to come to these meetings as well. Any sort of semi-local entrepreneurs are welcome, even business owners. 1 million cups hopes the intermingling among colleagues from other businesses. Governmental and nonprofit organizations will help spur innovation and ideas and new relationships. A good example is using the library as a resource for those looking to start a new business. And Gina can connect them to those resources. As the library, we have resources that will help entrepreneurs and business owners and that's the role that we're taking. Low Lane is a business consultant from Carthage who has attended 1 million cup presentations in Springfield that have attracted as many as 200 people. Low says that the strength of 1 million cups is the diversity of workplace backgrounds and the freedom of ideas that comes with attending and watching a presentation. When people would go up and talk, it didn't really matter what they brought up.

Somebody in the audience had something to contribute, which that was awesome. And that's why we encourage the community no matter kind of what field you're in to come. Low recently spoke with a family business owner who had operated a business for years and branched out to open a retail shop. 1 million cups seeks to bridge the divide for entrepreneurs and business owners who have questions and don't know where to turn. And he said, you know, hey, we've got QuickBooks set up and all that and that's great. But he said, really, the value of meeting is, you know, there's just lots of things I don't know and getting advice and help, you know, and talk about those things because he said, there isn't anybody, you know, there's nowhere for me to get support because a lot of business owners feel like they're out there by themselves. Meetings are free to attend, open to the public and there is no dress code. The first meeting of the Joplin 1 million cups group will take place at Cratter Colleges, Advanced Training and Technology Center, next Wednesday morning at 830.

For KRPS, I'm Fred Fletcher-Fierro in Web City.