You could get paid to start a business in Haysville

HAYSVILLE, Kan. (KSNW) — The city of Haysville is offering $15,000 incentives for people who open a coffee shop, steak house/family dining or fast food/quick service.

“Just more of a proactive approach to bringing in businesses,” Danielle Gabor said. “The residents definitely have asked for them, and in taking care of them, we just want to try to entice them to come in.” 

Danielle Gabor, the economic development director, says the town has seen steady growth that they need to keep up with.

“We’ve got two residential areas moving in or building right now, and that will equal about 250 more families into the area and then discussions about more in the future,” Gabor said. “We also have an assisted living coming in next year that will start building next year.”

Will Harmon is building the Copperhead Development, and he has owned many businesses.

“Out of the gate is definitely the hardest,” Harmon said. “You know, it’s all about making sure that your projections are good, you know, you got good financial backing. You need to make sure that you just got your ducks in a row. Anything the city does as far as incentives, it’s just gonna get you know, whatever business owner and entrepreneur that much closer to their end goal.”

Harmon is working on 100 rental properties in the heart of Haysville that also have retail space available.

“It’s forethinking from the city to incentivize those companies to come because, I mean, if they are successful, and they build a big customer base, five years, 10 years down the road when those incentives fall off, well, then you’ve got fantastic taxpaying business that’s thriving right in the middle of your towns,” Harmon said.

Also, a community survey revealed people need more dining options in town. Many people in Haysville said they leave town to eat and shop.

“Residents definitely want that,” Gabor said. “They’re just having to go outside the city for it. So by bringing more restaurants here, then they don’t have to leave Haysville. It was a huge survey that it covered a lot of different things, so it was not just food establishments, but it was also shopping establishments as well. And I think what we learned the most is that there’s just a big need for more businesses here in Haysville.”

The city originally had the incentives set at $5,000, but no one used them. They realized that wasn’t enough and increased them to $15,000.

“We realized that businesses needed a little bit more than that to really incentivize them to come to Haysville or really to open up right now, you know, in today’s economy,” Gabor said.

The money is given over a 3-year period.

“In talking to businesses, that first three years of starting up or moving to a new location really is where they need the most help,” Gabor said.

Harmon says the incentives will have a lasting effect beyond the three years.