Greetings!
As we celebrate Halloween this weekend, we realize that while this year has been full of tricks, there have been treats along the way. You may have to look hard to recognize the “treats” from this year, but I believe the forced disruption of some of our business practices may be a treat that benefits us in the long-run. Many of the trends we were slowly adopting such as virtual meetings & education, tele-medicine, remote working, and new online sales platforms were dramatically accelerated as a result of the pandemic. Analysts have been impressed with our ability to make drastic and immediate changes to the way we work in this new environment. Without this pandemic, we would have languished in the slow adoption of new ways of work for years. Now, our challenge is to look ahead and see how life has been permanently changed and what we need to be doing to adapt.
For Enid, Oklahoma, this as an opportunity to attract people to live in our community who may be looking for work, a family-friendly environment, or a community with a strong quality. While these are features that Enid has always had, there is a new sense of importance on these basic needs. For our employers this new reality may mean redesigning the workspace, allowing for remote work, and integrating online sales and service as a core part of their business. Our hardest hit industries such as restaurants, hotels and retail will also see a permanent change in how they interact with customers by offering online ordering, patio seating and curb-side pick-up.
The time for innovation and adaptation will not end when this pandemic is over. We will look back on 2020 as a year that that taught us how to adapt, and we will recognize all of the good that came from the challenges we are overcoming.
If we can ever be of assistance to your business's growth, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely,
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Visit ShopinEnid.com to jump start holiday shopping |
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ERDA Assists Beeline with New Location |
Autry Technology's Strate Center Business Incubator Client, Beeline Heat, Air Conditioning and Plumbing has continued to experience growth and recently made the move to a larger facility to help meet their needs.
To support their move, ERDA participated in the Grow Enid Loan Fund with Beeline and their lender Bank of Kremlin. The loan program can be used to finance any business expense and can be combined with commercial lending to complete the financing package.
Congratulations Beeline on your graduation from the business incubator and your new location!
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Seeing more upscale clothing shopping cropping up in Downtown Enid
Though it’s changed locations three times over the last decade or so, you can always hear music when you walk into the Felt Bird in downtown Enid.
For 11 years, Riley and Stela Jantzen have owned their self-described “hipster boutique” and gift shop, now located at 222 W. Randolph. The couple sells clothing, jewelry, cards, books, candles and a hodgepodge of household decor, some of which with sayings that can’t be printed in this newspaper. Riley also runs his freelance marketing and design business and operates a screen printer in the back half of the building.
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Flying Aces 2021 schedule released
The Oklahoma Flying Aces professional indoor football team will play a 10-game season in 2021 according to a release issued by Champions Indoor Football on Monday.
The Flying Aces have not played since the conclusion of their 2019 inaugural season after CIF canceled the league’s 2020 season due to issues related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Flying Aces, who play their home games at Enid’s Stride Bank Center, will open the regular season March 20 at home against Omaha.
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(2) $10,0000 MicroEnterprise Grants Available |
After a successful 2020 MicroEnterprise Grant cycle, the Enid Regional Development Alliance (ERDA) is excited to increase their support of small business owners in 2021. In 2021, ERDA will award (2) $10,000 grant to two local businesses with six or fewer employees. The funds can be used for any business expense necessary for the operation, management, formation, or expansion of the company.
In 2020, ERDA awarded its first MicroEnterprise Grant to Latoya Peyton, owner of Sunny Moon Daycare. The grant allowed Ms. Peyton to purchase new equipment, receive training, and to buy educational material for the kids in her care.
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2020 Winner: Latoya Peyton
Sunny Moon Day Care
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Enid Summer Internship Program |
Have you started thinking about summer interns for 2021? Now is the perfect time to start marketing internship opportunities to college students.
The Enid Summer Internship Program (ESIP) allows for companies to partner with ERDA to help recruit and market your internship openings. The interns you hire will benefit from networking with other ESIP interns and will participate in Enid’s community events throughout the summer. Qualified candidates may also be offered free housing at Northern Oklahoma College in Enid.
Contact Trent Misak ([email protected]) to learn more about the Enid Summer Internship Program.
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Enid: A Place for Young Professionals |
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Third Places: What They Are and Why they are Important |
People spend the majority of their time in two places, either at work or at home. Where they spend the rest of their time, though, is often where community and connections are developed. These community-building places are known as “Third Places,” a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg. Idea sharing, relationship building, and an overall good time all happen at these locations.
Enid has a variety of third places, such as; our coffee shops, breweries, golf courses, gyms, and many other locations. Each third-place area provides the opportunity to enhance the quality of life in a community........
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Entrepreneur Week Nov. 16-22 |
The entrepreneurial spirit runs deep in Enid. Over the years, many of our most successful companies formed by a single entrepreneur with an idea.
Join ERDA in celebrating our local entrepreneurs Nov. 16-22nd, during the Global Entrepreneurship Week. Be sure to follow our Facebook and LinkedIn page for more information on events.
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Application open for Registered Apprenticeship Grants |
The Oklahoma Office for Workforce Development has announced the availability of incentive grants to develop new apprenticeship programs registered with the U.S. Department of Labor. Individual employers are eligible for grants up to $10,000. Grantees who apply as an employer consortium are eligible for grants up to $15,000. Intermediaries may also apply (such as ERDA), but must have an employer partner identified in the application Additional information on applying for this grant can be found in the announcement attached. OOWD is accepting applications on a rolling basis.
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