Is 2024 the right time to start a business in Nebraska?
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Is Nebraska a good place to start a business?
How does Nebraska rank?
According to Forbes list of Best States to Start a Business, Nebraska is number 29.
However, according to Alt Line, this article from June of 2023 states that Nebraska’s business survival rate is well below the national average. Comparatively, Nebraska’s neighbor and rival on the other side of the Missouri, Iowa, boasts the number one business survival rate.
Irks you a lil’ bit, doesn’t it? Don’tcha wanna show those Hawkeyes and Cyclones that Nebraska can get the job done just as good? Or, hey, maybe start a business in Omaha that also operates in Council Bluffs! Like {YEL!}!
Why is Nebraska’s business survival rate lower then their neighbors?
Whereas some say it’s a “Nebraska Nice” attitude, or an aversion to risk, others say it’s that Nebraska entrepreneurs are looking for a side hustle and when it doesn’t pan out quickly, they abandon it. I don’t ascribe to any of that. If you have hustle, a product or service that customers want, and a proven method to deliver that product or service, you can survive the challenges of any business climate.
Are there customers for {YEL!} summer camps and classes?
A Google search of “summer camps omaha” revealed very little by way of what {YEL!} does. Omaha Parks and Recreation has awesome day camps with hiking, swimming, and daily adventures, but nothing like {YEL!}’s chess, sewing, woodworking, or other programs that {YEL!} offers.
On the other hand, OmahaSummerCamps.com lists a number of performance art camps, like music theater, dance, as well as graphic arts camps. But nothing like what {YEL!} offers.
Do parents and their children want chess, sewing, rocketry, robotics, and other camps that {YEL!} offers?
Ask your friends and neighbors what they are doing to keep their children active and engaged in the summer months, or in extra-curricular activities during the school year. Are you hearing “chess”, “robotics” or “coding” classes mentioned? Let’s talk.
Email me at chet@yelkids.com and let’s set up a time to discuss bringing these popular programs to Nebraska.
Is starting a business in Nebraska right for you?
To coin the Nebraska slogan (thankfully retired recently), “Honestly, it’s not for everyone.” I think the most important component of starting your own business is…well, YOU.
- Do you have hustle?
- Are you itching to be your own boss and call your own shots?
- Are you looking to replace your current salary and position with something better?
- Do you want to make a difference in your community?
Let’s address these one at a time
Do you have hustle?
If you have a desire to start your own business, you’ll need to have hustle to make it happen. Kamau Wilkins is {YEL!}’s first franchise. He is in Rochester, MN. His son won three state
fencing championships due, in large part, to Kamau’s coaching and desire. After purchasing a {YEL!} franchise, Kamau grew his territory quickly. After {YEL!} opened our first fencing club in Hopkins, MN, Kamau wanted to replicate that and open his fencing club in Rochester, MN. Kamau had to hustle to find a space, hustle to get the lease language right for his club, hustle to get the new space ready for his fencing athletes. Now, his fencing club is opened and it is already profitable. Now he hustles to bring in new athletes and to build his reputation as the strongest fencing club in Southern Minnesota.
When you start a business, it’s a production with an opening, with legal documentation, business filings, insurance, and more. You have to wake up each morning ready to meet the challenge. Do you have that in you?
Are you itching to be your own boss?
Have you ever been in a toxic work environment where you thought, “I could do that better.”, or been laid off even though your job performance was stellar? Have you ever lost your job because of a company closure or downsizing? It’s exasperating leaving your earning potential and livelihood to others who don’t understand all of your gifts and abilities.
As your own boss, you control your destiny. Your compensation, your schedule, and your freedom is contingent on YOU!
I was an actor
I get it, I’m that way too. Before founding Youth Enrichment League with my wife in 2004, I worked as a professional actor. Generally speaking, being a professional actor means that you mostly rely on other people to hire you, give you a script, tell you where to stand, tell you how to say your lines, etc. I loved it, but I also grew tired of relying on other people to hire me. I wanted to go out on my own.
Because of this, I developed a constant pounding in my head, almost like a headache, to start my own business. After nine years in Los Angeles, my wife and I, and our nine-month old son, returned to my home state of Minnesota to be closer to family, start a business, and call our own shots. That was in 2004.
It’s been great! Twenty years in, we’ve enjoyed the fruits of our labor and seen hundreds of thousands of student in our programs in hundreds of schools and dozens of communities.
Being your own boss is great!
Certainly being your own boss is great, but here’s brief word of CAUTION – It’s not always everything it’s cracked up to be. Although there isn’t a boss telling you what to do, as a business owner, you have hundreds – maybe even thousands – of “bosses” (customers) who can “fire” you at any time for any reason. At {YEL!} we strive to give our franchisees and customers FIVE STAR enrichment classes through robust, comprehensive curriculum; dynamic instructors; and FIVE STAR customer service. This approach helps business owners build their customer base and keep them coming back for more. In fact, in meetings with schools and community partners, one of the most common questions we receive is, “What else do you have?” Meaning that they want more {YEL!} programs.
Are you looking to replace your current salary?
Despite hard work and perseverance, many of us haven’t found our true earning potential. Being a business owner is a great
way to unlock that potential. What {YEL!} does is helps you find your highest personal revenue while making a difference in your community.
With branches in five markets and 20 years of experience, {YEL!} boasts a lengthy string of success. Our branch managers and franchisees are making a great living serving their communities. Email me and ask me how much money our branches are profiting.
Do you want to make a difference in your community?
How do you measure making a difference in your community? At {YEL!}, we measure the:
- number of students (19,792 in 2023), the
- number of five-star reviews (720 5-star reviews in 2023),
- our overall rating (4.70 out of 5.00 from 914 2023 parent reviews), and
- teacher retention (72% of teachers returned for our summer 2024 classes).
Due to these great teachers and our five-star approach to service, each day our summer camps and classes are making a difference in the lives of children, their parents, communities, and our teachers. Does your community need someone to make a difference like this?
How about you? Are you ready to start a business?
Are you looking to provide for your family, looking for more freedom, or looking to grow personally and professionally? Are you looking to start your own business and be your own boss? The first step in that journey started minutes ago when you started reading this article. The next step on this new adventure is as simple as CLICKING HERE to email us for more information.
I look forward to hearing from you.
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